Malaysians have turned to TikTok to promote the country’s mosques after claiming that Islam was sidelined in a tourism video which featured a church and Hindu temple, highlighting the perennial sensitivities over representation and identity in the multicultural Southeast Asian country.
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The Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign aims to attract 35.6 million international travellers and generate 147.1 billion ringgit (US$32.7 billion) in tourism receipts by 2026.
But a 41-second video by the Tourism Ministry launching the drive has drawn criticism from parts of the Malay Muslim majority after it failed to show any mosques.
Instead, it highlighted the 272-year-old Dutch-era Christ Church in Melaka and the popular Batu Caves complex of Hindu temples in Selangor.
“What’s wrong with inserting the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya,” asked YouTube user Syukri Desa in the comment section of the video.
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In response, many took to TikTok to promote their local mosques, using the same music from the official video as a counter-campaign.