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Iman Muttaqin Yusof

A viral post of a couple lying and cuddling in the middle of a public field in Malaysia has drawn outrage and calls for religious authorities to act in the Muslim-majority country, where public intimacy can quickly turn into a morality row.
In one of the clips, uploaded to social media on Tuesday, a man and woman lie facing each other at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state. Another shows the woman with her head on the man’s lap.
Social media users claimed the pair were also kissing, though This Week in Asia could not independently verify the claim, their identities or whether they were married.
As of Wednesday, the post had received more than 660,000 views, 4,100 likes and 4,700 shares.




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It was not immediately clear whether police or Selangor religious authorities had opened an investigation into the clips.
Much of the reaction was swift and hostile. Some users called the couple “shameless” and “stupid”, while others said they had “polluted” Shah Alam or told them to “get a room”.
Several comments urged bystanders to confront the pair, throw objects at them or call the authorities.
A smaller number pushed back, criticising those who filmed and circulated the clip instead of confronting the couple directly.
“Why can’t [people] just let them be?” one user asked. Another said the person who recorded it should have given them a warning rather than turning it into content.

The incident has renewed debate over public displays of affection in Malaysia, where conservative social attitudes often sit alongside a legal system that covers both secular and Islamic law for Muslims.
Under Section 294(a) of Malaysia’s Penal Code, a person who commits an obscene act in a public place “to the annoyance of others” can face up to three months in jail, a fine, or both. Selangor’s sharia laws also cover indecent conduct in public places by Muslims, with punishment of up to 1,000 ringgit (US$246), six months in jail, or both.
Malaysia has seen similar cases before. In February last year, a Chinese technician and his wife were fined 5,000 ringgit each after pleading guilty to committing an obscene act at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2.
The couple had stripped and exposed themselves in what they claimed was a bizarre psychological game.


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While social media comments were generally hostile, some have asked people to ‘just let them be’


While social media comments were generally hostile, some have asked people to ‘just let them be’.


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In Malaysia, video of cuddling couple renews debate over public displays of affection

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}While social media comments were generally hostile, some have asked people to ‘just let them be’

While social media comments were generally hostile, some have asked people to ‘just let them be’