KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — The zeal with which Malaysia’s newest political party’s youth wing sought to promote progressive Islam got the better of it after model-turned-Muslim advocate Felixia Yeap denounced Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) for trying to drag her into politics.
Malacca Amanah Youth tendered an effusive open apology to the former Asian Playboy Bunny on her Facebook page today for using an image of her clad in a tudung for a promotional political poster — without her permission or it appears, her knowledge.
“Dear whatever party it is or whoever, Please DO NOT USE MY PICTURE OR MY NAME FOR ANY POLITICAL USAGE.
“I AM NOT INTERESTED IN BEING INVOLVED IN ANYTHING POLITICAL. PLEASE REMOVE THIS AT ONCE. YOUR DESPERATION MAKES YOU LOOK PATHETIC. THANK YOU,” Yeap wrote across a copy of the offending poster, which she uploaded on her Facebook page earlier today.
The post drew over 1,200 “likes” on Facebook at the time of writing. A few hours later, Adeysham Nor, communications director of Malacca Amanah Youth, owned up to the act.
“Malacca Amanah Youth takes note of the Anti-Racist Poster issue that used a photo of Felixia @ Raisyya Rania. We admit the poster was made and issued by our IT Team which is under the supervision of the Communications Director, Malacca Amanah Youth.
“We openly apologise to Felixia for the matter and promise to be more careful in producing future advertisements, posters and et cetera,” he wrote in Bahasa Malaysia on Yeap’s Facebook page, below her scathing statement.
Adeysham said the Islamist party wing had intended to convey the message that “Islam rejects racism”, which is also Amanah’s stand but acknowledged that his failure to obtain her prior consent had caused her controversy.
He said 1,000 members of Amanah’s cyber troopers — which he dubbed the “Orange Army” — have been tasked to track down all traces of the poster on all social networks and gave an assurance that his team will remove them within the next 24 hours.
He added that his party is however hoping to meet Yeap in person and soon to put a proper end to the issue.
