NOT everyone views four-legged friends as cute. Nor are they welcome in public places.
At least, this seemed to be the perception of UpdateInfo (udateinfo11111) who posted on the X platform a brief clip of a shopper accompanied by his dog, purportedly at the Design Village Outlet Mall in Batu Kawan, Mainland Penang.
He asked if this was acceptable, sarcastically pointing out it can be dogs today but what next tomorrow? He even suggested that some try walking their goats there next.
Design Village Penang boleh bawa binatang peliharaan berjalan jalan ke sana ke? Esok kami nak bawa anak kambing pulak…
Harini bawa anjing… esok bawa apa pulak.#tanyasaja
Kredit owner 🎥 pic.twitter.com/h5tieWplx3— #UpdateInfo🇲🇾🌍 (@update11111) November 10, 2024
The poster’s annoyance was met with a flurry of responses, many pointing out that this is known as a “pet-friendly” mall; similar to the Desa ParkCity development in the Klang Valley.
Some were quick to point out that the poster was out-of-touch with this being the norm in quite a few malls.
With a few not mincing their words – or rather got offended – with what they thought of the poster’s views.
One could not fathom the Malay fear of dogs.
Some reckoned that the poster would have a hard time abroad as dogs are allowed in many public places – even in Muslim majority countries such as Türkiye and Indonesia.
Some said that Muslim patrons should just avoid these pet-friendly malls as it was a matter of choice while some said a boycott would lead to such malls closing down.
One agreed with the poster asking just why the need to bring pets into a mall. It is not like they needed clothing.
Of course, there were those who sought to politicise the matter by turning it into a “blame DAP” issue.
This tactic was quickly called out by one netizen who saw through the charade as nothing more than a ploy to create disharmony.
The point is that it is clearly stated that the said venue is a pet-friendly mall. The management of these places have obviously done their research and found that this is a good way to attract customers.
Those who are uncomfortable with such a business model are free to patronise other malls. It is not like Malaysia is facing a shortage of such places.
As for being culturally sensitive, the poster needs to think how others feels when rule of the majority is forced through.
For instance, the insistence on “blessing” Parliament with the slaughter of cows. Or forcing people to cover up when entering government buildings. In these instances, there isn’t even a choice about the matter.
One commenter summed it up best when he suggested that instead of exercising the power of choice, the poster decided to bark on social media. – Nov 12, 2024
