Claiming Batik from Malaysia, Miss World Malaysia, Lavanya Sivaji Is Criticized by Netizens of Indonesia

Miss World Malaysia, Lavanya Sivaji (Foto: lavanyasivaji)

JAKARTA - Miss World Malaysia, Lavanya Sivaji became the target of bullying by Indonesian netizens when she uploaded a photo of herself wearing batik. Because he claimed that batik is a traditional Malaysian cloth, Lavanya's comment column was immediately attacked by Indonesian netizens.

"Batik cloth symbolizes the diversity among Malaysians, with its various colors, prints & designs. Therefore, I present to you my evening gown for Miss World Malaysia 2021 made of Malaysian batik cloth," wrote Lavanya Sivaji in English on her account. Instagram @lavanyasivaji.

Indonesian netizens immediately objected to the statement. "A Miss must be smart in order to represent her country well, so she must know the history and culture of her country, not belonging to other countries. You should learn more," said keir**** account.

"Take note, sis, BATIK has been recognized by UNESCO as native to Indonesia, so if someone claims to claim to be BATIK from a country other than Indonesia, what does that mean? Do you have no shame?" said papa*** account.

Getting a lot of bullying, Lavanya immediately corrected the description of her upload. She no longer mentions Malaysian batik cloth and closes the comments column.

Thursday, October 21, Lavanya Sivaji also made an official apology. "Hi everyone! Dear pageant lovers, especially in Indonesia. I hope you are in good health. First of all, I want to apologize if I have offended anyone for my uploads," she explained.

"I admit that the word Batik comes from Java as well as its design and history. However, there are many other countries that practice this culture, including Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, with their own designs and motifs. Both from Malaysia, Indonesia, or any other country, I will always feel proud to wear batik." she continued.

"I want to thank you all for reminding me to respect our roots, culture, and traditions. Every time I wear Batik, I can feel the power of a real woman. We have super powers. We are healers. We are healers. mother," concluded Lavanya Sivaji.