Malay Influencer In M’sia Criticised For Feeding Piglets In Thailand

An influencer from Malaysia has sparked quite the religious debate online.

@Imranbard, who is Malay, recently posted a series of photos documenting his trip to Thailand. In his Instagram carousel were two snaps of piglets — one pic showed a piglet lying in its pen, and the other was of Imran feeding it with a milk bottle.

The post immediately went viral.

He was heavily criticised by those who felt he had violated Islamic law. According to Islamic belief, Muslims are forbidden to sell, consume, or touch pork.

Some said his behaviour “made them feel sad”, while another asked: “What’s so fun about feeding milk to piglets?”

There were also those who spoke up in his defense.

“I never thought that feeding piglets went against our religious teachings,” asserted one netizen.

Another comment read: “Yes, Imran is not allowed to touch or eat the animal, but it doesn’t mean he can’t treat them with kindness. They deserve to be loved too.”

Majority of his supporters emphasised that Imran was not in direct contact with any of the piglets.

Muslim missionary Da’i Wan has since spoken up on the issue.

Endorsing Imran’s actions, he said: “This is actually a noble act, especially when these animals require our help, or are sick. We’re forbidden from touching pigs, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t treat them well.”

Imran also responded to a comment, writing: “Even if I didn’t post this, ‘pigs’ can be found everywhere. I only shared this because it was my first time feeding a piglet. It was a beautiful experience for me, but others may feel differently about it.”