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Joseph Sipalan

Malaysian social media users are having a field day over a viral episode of an elderly Malay man slapping a non-Muslim for eating in public during Ramadan, injecting a note of levity into a situation fraught with racial undertones.
A retired civil servant, 65, was charged on Wednesday with slapping an ethnic Chinese man during a confrontation at a convenience store in southern Johor state on Sunday.
Videos went viral of the elderly man berating the 21-year-old for eating in public and demanding that he hand over his identity card to prove he was not a Muslim breaking his fast. The videos did not show the assault.
Social media pounced on the slap bandwagon – especially non-Muslims from Sabah and Sarawak states on Malaysian Borneo who say they regularly get mistaken for Malays.

A Facebook post by Verdi Kornelis Omjai, shared over 1,200 times since Thursday, showed him sitting at a coffee shop with his identity card placed on the table as he prepares to tuck into his food.
“[Identity card] ready on the table … worried suddenly I get slapped from behind for not fasting,” read the caption to the picture of the Sabah native looking mock concerned as he starts his meal.
Sarawakian content creator Darren Gilbert pulled thousands of fresh views to a post from 2023 on the struggles of Malay-looking non-Muslims trying to have lunch during the holy fasting month.
Religious authorities regularly carry out Ramadan raids to catch Muslims breaking their fast before sundown.
The most recent case was the arrest of several men in private spaces in Malacca state earlier this month, with critics accusing religious authorities of overreach while ignoring the plight of the poor and underprivileged.

@dawenkoh
When people forget I’m Christian so I gotta do this FAST
♬ som original - Gabryell Urlan

In the short video posted on TikTok, Gilbert is seen pasting his identity card on his forehead before taking a bite of cake, and later wrapping a rosary around his left hand to show the cross before taking a sip of drink.
“When people forget I’m Christian so I gotta do this FAST,” read the caption to the video, which hit over 15,000 shares and 5,000 comments.
Malaysian comic artists also took a dig at the Ramadan slap. Ernest Ng, who rose to fame with his Covidball series parodying the pandemic and the political shenanigans of the time, ran a four-panel comic of a Chinese-looking Malay man eating while the slap altercation was happening in the background.
“Relax la. My face looks Chinese. Hehehe!” the character told a friend over the phone in the last panel, while an elderly man wearing black robes smacked a person behind him.

Webcomic author Daniel Mok’s two panel offering played off Gen Z slang, with the first panel saying “This food slaps!” – meaning the food was good – while the second panel showing the assault read “Eat food, slap!”.
Culture clashes have been on the rise in multiracial Malaysia, following a deeply divided national election in 2022 that saw the rise of a significant Malay nationalist minority bloc in parliament.
Critics accuse the Malay nationalist movement of using their strong social media presence to tap deep-seated resentment among the Malay majority over perceived attempts by the country’s economically dominant Chinese and Indian ethnic minorities to usurp political control.


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‘Ramadan slap’ in Malaysia goes viral as social media responds with satire

Verdi Kornelis Omjai posts a photo of himself eating with his identity card on the table to prove he isn’t Malay on social media. Photo: Facebook/Verdi Kornelis Omjai

A screengrab from the viral video showing an elderly Muslim man confronting a non-Muslim for eating during Ramadan. Photo: X/bingbing656

Ernest Ng’s four-panel comic of a Chinese-looking Malay man eating while the slap altercation is happening in the background. Photo: X/Ernest Ng

Malaysian retiree claims trial to slapping non-Muslim for eating during Ramadan

In this screengrab from a social-media video, a man in a black robe is seen confronting the 21-year-old victim. Photo: Handout

Malaysian Muslims offer prayers to mark the start of Ramadan on March 1. Photo: AFP

Malaysian minister warns against extremism after non-Muslim assaulted for not fasting

Screengrab from Elijah’s social-media video showing his encounter with an elderly man in a black robe. Photo: X/bingbing656

A Malaysian mosque gives out rice porridge during Ramadan on March 7. Photo: AFP

Malaysian Muslims break their fast during Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur on March 2. Photo: Reuters

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Volunteer models wearing suits filled with discarded food hold up placards urging the public to reduce food wastage during the launch of MySaveFood’s #BazirRamadan campaign in Kuala Lumpur last week. Photo: MySaveFood


Volunteer models wearing suits made from clear plastic pockets filled with food waste walk down the runway at the launch of the #BazirRamadan campaign in Kuala Lumpur last week. Photo: MySaveFood

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Social media users are poking fun at the absurdity of the viral video of an elderly Malay man confronting a non-Muslim for not fasting


Social media users are poking fun at the absurdity of the viral video of an elderly Malay man confronting a non-Muslim for not fasting.


‘Ramadan slap’ in Malaysia goes viral as social media responds with satire

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Social media users are poking fun at the absurdity of the viral video of an elderly Malay man confronting a non-Muslim for not fasting

Social media users are poking fun at the absurdity of the viral video of an elderly Malay man confronting a non-Muslim for not fasting