Popular local comedian Harith Iskander has questioned why some Malaysians seem overly concerned with how others choose to dress, following the latest wave of online criticism directed at actress and singer Bella Astillah.
In a social media post on Tuesday (9 June), Harith said he came across comments targeting Bella’s outfit, with some netizens describing it as too tight or inappropriate. However, he pointed out that Bella is far from the only female celebrity who regularly faces such scrutiny.
Why bother about what others are wearing?
The comedian said he often wonders why a person’s choice of clothing becomes such a significant issue for strangers online.
“Bella wasn’t the only target. You could replace her name with any other celebrity.”
According to Harith, public criticism is understandable when someone’s actions harm others, such as stealing, cheating, bullying, or causing injury. However, he argued that personal fashion choices are different, as they do not directly affect or harm anyone else.
He also questioned why some individuals feel entitled to police other people’s wardrobes, jokingly asking:
“Who exactly is being harmed? Who made you the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Other People’s Wardrobes?
“If someone is stealing, scamming, or assaulting others, you and the rest of society have the right to speak up because it affects others.”
Focus on far bigger concerns
Harith went on to suggest that if a person is more troubled by someone else’s outfit than by issues such as corruption, road safety, the rising cost of living, or even their own happiness and well-being, then perhaps the real issue lies elsewhere.
Concluding his thoughts, Harith said that the problem might not be the clothing itself, but rather society’s tendency to focus on matters that have little to no impact on others. He ended by noting that this was simply his personal opinion.
What do you think of Harith’s take on this?
Also read: “I’m not sexualising men” – M’sian Designer Says His See-Through Baju Melayu is Nothing New
