Miss World Malaysia 2021 has been severely slammed by Indonesian netizens, accusing her of misleading viewers by claiming that batik was Malaysian.
The medical doctor, who won Miss World Malaysia 2021 on Sunday, posted a photo of her on Instigram wearing a black and green batik evening gown she wore at the pageant, along with a caption saying batik is a symbol of Malaysia’s diversity.
The caption seems to have offended many Indonesians.
Some Indonesians have called her a “clown” and demanded that she amend her caption to acknowledge Indonesia, according to report.
“Batik [is] from Indonesia,” said many comments.
“You can wear it, just don’t claim it,” another user said.
Lavanya has later apologized on her Instagram, saying sorry to those who were offended by her post.
She also stressed that Malaysia has its own version of batik.
“I acknowledged the word Batik is originally from Java as well as the designs and the history.
“However, there are few other countries that [have such culture] including Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India with their own designs.
“Be it Malaysia, Indonesia, or any other countries, I will always feel proud wearing Batik,” she said.
