With the surfacing problem of cult-like actions planted into religious sects around Malaysia, Malaysian directors are coining into the mystery with their rendition of religious heresy. But how much is considered as too much when it comes to dramas and films?
Recently, a Malaysian took to Twitter to show an excerpt of a questionable scene from ViuTV’s new drama, “Bidaah”. The show revolves around the story of a religious sect operating under the guise of spiritual salvation that follows the teachings of Walid Muhammad, who claims to be divinely chosen by Imam Mahdi. The show stars Fattah Amin, Riena Diana and Faizal Hussein. The specific clip quickly went viral, with netizens taking to the comments to express their discomfort.
As shown in the screenshots, the scene depicts Vanida Imran’s character, Ummi Rabiatul, passionately caressing Walid Muhammad’s (Faizal Hussein) beard with her foot. After the tweet, the series has since then been a hot topic among Malaysian netizens, with the majority of viewers commenting that the show is highly inappropriate to be airing during the month of Ramadhan. User @/aliffshanusi, a concerned watcher of the controversial show, comments, “To me, stories like this are wrong. It portrays false teachings which have no corelation to Islam or Malays“.
Due to the controversial nature of the show, this was not the only scene that proved to be both unsightly and discomforting. Another clip from the show also shows Kalsum (Fazlina Ahmad Daud) drinking feet water and kissing Faizal Hussein’s feet. Since then, the directors and scriptwriters of “Bidaah” have received major backlash from social media.
Scriptwriter and actress Erma Fatimah also became a topic of interest regarding her involvement with the show and the issue of her previous works. Twitter user @/momothedinoo comments, “Does Erma Fatima have to release these type of shows every fasting month?”. Users have expressed clear doubts about Erma’s works, which are said to be often linked to pornographic elements and religious-based characters, in most of her dramas. She is yet to make a statement about her controversial works.
What are your thoughts on this series? Watch the full video here:
Cerita apa aku tengok ni? 😂 pic.twitter.com/mUbUGhbKxe
— #ZHAFVLOG (@zhafvlog) March 8, 2025
Sources: Twitter (1)(2), IMDb
Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article
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