The rich and the famous or the ones born rich has strike again. Or could it be that this is a story where one strikes too soon or a mistake that has been blown out of proportion? A few weeks ago, one of Malaysia top business mogul, Vivy Yusof - owner and founder of Fashion Valet, was caught in a rift of backlash from the netizens due to her comment that about the B40 community or simply known as the lower income community.
Before I begin the story about what Vivy commented, let me just take this time to brief about the B40 community. In Malaysia, the nation are divided into three different income groups - B40, M40 and T20. T20 represents those with higher income, M40 are the middle income earners and B40 are those with lower income. Now, come back to the purpose of my post, Vivy Yusof, founder of one of Malaysia's top fashion outlet, Fashion Valet and also a well-known business mogul, was caught in a situation which I think she has never experienced before. Truth be told, I have never got myself caught in such a situation either. However, as much as I do think that she did dipped her fingers in the mistake lake, there maybe some misunderstanding with the netizens who ruthlessly attacked her. So here is what happens. Currently, here in Malaysia, we are going through Movement Control Order (MCO) in which many businesses were forced to closed their offices and premises (but not their businesses) and almost everyone are forced to work from home (including me). So, whilst this Order is going on, the Government introduces a few benefits that could assist everyone financially and some of those benefits come in the form of cash assistance. This brings us to a person (Aleeya Zailan) who posted a comment, undoubtedly not a smart comment on how the lower income community will be richer once the MCO is over because of all the benefits made available for them. Vivy then decided to reply by agreeing with her comment.
So here's my take. I am assuming that Aleeya was just stating her opinions on how, at the time, the benefits, benefited the B40s and M40s. There was no announcement made by the Government on what could helped with the Small and Medium Enterprises or in other words, businesses. However, she didn't plan or think of how best she could write her opinion which would actually made sense to those who read it. Instead, she took the shortcut and got herself drown into the whirlpool of misconception. Sadly, when Vivy replied, she too got dragged into the mess which was unintended. The thing is, when Vivy replied, well when she agreed, she actually agreed to Aleeya's whole comment. Again, I believe that she too was talking about the businesses struggling in current situation but when she said 'exactly' she is literally reiterating the whole comment by Aleeya and that's when she made her mistake. She could have easily thought through what she was about to type because again with commenting, we get the privileged of thinking about what we want to say and in this case, Vivy could have lessen the scandal by first correcting Aleeya's comment or simply agree only on the part of the struggling businesses. If that was what she did, this whole scandal wouldn't have be blown out of proportions as it did.
I honestly think that this is a situation where it could have been avoided should everyone take their time to think before saying or typing anything especially when you are a public figure, every word transcended live or on the web can be easily misconstrued and get you into a situation that you did not call for. In some sense, I feel for both the women but nonetheless, they have to understand how silly and ignorant their comments are. The both of them could have handled the situation in a more professional and diplomatic manner especially at a time like now. At the same time, because of the nation's and the issues enveloping the entire globe, I believe, a few people have taken their comment a little too hard and got themselves into this mess of accusations and cyber abuse especially to Vivy. I am not defending Aleeya or Vivy because I can see where they have made their mistakes. I do sympathized the both of them because I think they never have any intention to look down on the lower and middle income communities but considering they are both born with a silver spoon and the fact that they are both successful business women, they are slightly ignorant and this little scandal is a good lesson for the both of them. But the world and even in this nation, hatred is growing very fast thus it has caused so much pain and abuse towards those women who I think did not deserve the hate. They were ignorant and best we all could do is to teach them and not call them names. What transpired after this little issue is to be discussed in another post for the story is quite long but I for one am trying to ensure that I take my own advice and that is to think and plan of what I want to say.
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