PETALING JAYA, May 13 — Malaysian singer Aina Abdul’s latest music video for her single Sumpah has created controversy for its negative portrayal of schizophrenia.
The offending video depicts the 26-year-old, whose real name is Nurul Aina Abdul Ghani, as a wife who kills her husband after suffering from hallucinations.
A dictionary definition for schizophrenia then appears on the screen as the music video fades to black.
Aina previously told Malay portal mStar that Sumpah was inspired by her experience of depression and was meant to raise awareness on mental health issues.
The Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (Miasa) however was having none of it and said that the singer evidently missed the mark.
The organisation’s secretary Zakirah Zakaria posted a statement on their official Facebook page, criticising the music video for showcasing negative mental health stereotypes.
“The content of the music video is very inappropriate because it contains homicide as part of the plot, enforcing the stigma that schizophrenics are dangerous to the people around them.
“This is an inaccurate depiction because in reality, many schizophrenics are not violent and they even live life in harmony with their families,” she wrote.
Zakirah added that she felt like she needed to speak up on the issue because she had family members of her own who suffered from the mental illness.
She also publicly invited Aina to visit the organisation’s centre in Damansara Perdana to have discussions on mental health and urged viewers not to share the video to avoid creating further misunderstandings about schizophrenia.
“Together, we can fight the stigma towards mental illness and help patients to rise up so they can live a meaningful and happy life,” she continued.
Aina first rose to fame after emerging as the runner-up on reality singing competition Mentor Legend in 2014.
Sumpah is the follow-up single to her 2018 English-language release Shadow.
