Actor Shukri Yahaya has apologised for his recent social media post showing him raising his middle finger, but questioned why the incident had been blown out of proportion.
The ‘Chelot’ star acknowledged that the gesture was inappropriate and admitted it was his mistake.
However, Shukri said the photo was shared among friends on his personal social media account, where most of his followers were adults capable of distinguishing right from wrong.
“I apologise to anyone who was offended. It was my mistake,” he said when met at the premiere of Chelot here last night.
“I posted it with my friends on my social media. I believe my followers are adults who can think for themselves and know the difference between what is right and wrong.
“Children should not be using social media without supervision. So why make such a big issue out of it by saying they might copy or be influenced by what they see?”
Shukri said parents should instead take responsibility for monitoring what their children watch and play online, rather than focusing solely on his gesture.
“Is it really so terrible that it could ruin someone’s morals?
“Instead of worrying so much about their children’s character, parents should pay attention to what they watch and the games they play. They need to monitor and control their children’s use of social media,” he said.
In a light-hearted attempt to put the matter to rest, Shukri added: “To anyone who was offended, I apologise. It was my mistake. Just consider it AI. Andy Teh has already edited the photo.”
Shukri also urged the public not to drag his wife into the controversy, saying he preferred to keep his personal life separate from his work and social media presence.
“There is no need to involve my wife because I do not like mixing my personal life with my work or social media,” he said.
