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Three influencers have come under investigation for a video showing them offering food scraps to a homeless man under the guise of doing a good deed.
The incident happened in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and was first shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on 3rd August before being deleted.
The minute-long clip begins with one of the men saying in Mandarin: "Today, we are going to do a kind deed."
The trio sit at a table with a box of KFC fried chicken and eat several pieces.
They then say it would be a waste to throw the bones away.
They wrap the bones with a serving of rice and say they are going to donate it to someone who needs it.
The next scene shows them walking towards a homeless man lying on the ground and handing him the pack.
The man opens it and appears confused when he sees the bones.
He puts the pack away without eating.
The cameraman gives him a thumbs up before the group walk away.
The video sparked widespread criticism online.
One commenter wrote: "Before becoming an influencer, learn how to be human."
The account’s owner later posted a follow-up video on Instagram on 4th August saying the act had been staged.
He said the homeless man had agreed to appear in the video and that they had later given him a full meal of rice and chicken.
He apologised in another video and asked for another chance to give back to society.
Many commenters said the problem was that they thought giving chicken bones to a homeless person was an acceptable idea for content.
On 5th August, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said they had launched an investigation after public complaints.
In a statement, they called the video unethical and inhumane.
They said the trio may have committed an offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
If found guilty, they face a fine of up to MYR 500,000 (GBP 87,400), up to two years in prison, or both.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Video Editor: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Copychecker: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Illustrator: Marija Stojkoska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Johor_Bahru
Subject: Food / Drink, Food, Real-life, Social media, Society
T4 Editor Story Rating: 6
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 6
T4 Total rating: 6
