SHAH ALAM, Nov 29 — All it took for S. Kanagarajah to become the latest internet sensation was 10 seconds of staring straight into the camera, shouting "deyyyy” with his right hand stretched out in a slapping gesture and sticking out his tongue.

Despite being somewhat intimidating, Kanagarajah’s expressive gesture has instead brought laughter and positive messages from Malaysians online and been turned into a meme — remarkable after the riots at the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya this week that left a number of people injured, and vehicles and property damaged.

"I was not mimicking any angry face. That is my facial expression at that time when I saw my friends bleeding from their heads, and I did so to express my disappointment and frustration at the ongoing situation when the demonstration on Tuesday morning took place,” the 42-year-old told reporters when met at the Court Complex here today.

He was surprised that his short video had gained so much traction in such a short amount of time.

"I did not say a word or hold any weapons... that is just my emotions showing,” he said.

He said this was the first time that he had found himself in the limelight, adding he did not think it would earn him that much publicity.

Kanagarajah, who is self-employed, said he did not mind if the public found his video funny or imitated his gesture after multiple copycats emerged online but in seeming jest.

But he feels strongly about the violence that broke out at the Hindu temple due to a squabble over the land on which it sits, saying the whole issue was blown out of proportion.

He stressed that the conflict was never racial as alleged.