Maszlee apologises for controversial women-shaming dialogue in Kudeta
SHAH ALAM - Former Education Minister, Dr Maszlee Malik has publicly apologised to all women for some inappropriate words he had to use while playing the role of an evil Prime Minister in the drama series, Kudeta.
In a Facebook post, Maszlee admitted that the harsh dialogue had negatively impacted the emotional and mental well-being of the public.
"I, Dr Maszlee bin Malik, would like to publicly apologise to everyone, especially to women wherever you are.
"I am aware of the effectiveness of films and dramas in conveying a good message in society. However, it must not offend any sensitivities or culture."I am also extremely grateful to all parties who have adviced me whether personally or publicly. May Allah SWT forgive all my mistakes and bring us all together in goodness," he wrote in a post on Sunday.
In Astro's Kudeta drama series Maszlee potrays a former Prime Minister who has been imprisoned due to corruption charges.
Kudeta tells a story of a woman Prime Minister and her political challenges in a fictional nation called Masraya. Social media users have said the series has some similarities to the Malaysian political scene.
In one of the scenes, Maszlee is seen insulting one of the female actresses in the series using inappropriate dialogue, the scene has since been criticised on social media, with many describing the dialogue as an insult to women and to Maszlee himself as he is a well-known and highly educated figure.
In the post, Maszlee expressed his hope that Astro would censor the scene to respect the sensitivity of many parties.
"I would also like to invite people to watch the Kudeta drama series on Astro, which is the first Malay drama with elements of politics, thriller and action. There is a lot to learn from the series apart from the controversial five-second scene," he said.
