Kuala lumpur: The issue of cyberbullying against local artists, especially women, is becoming increasingly worrying as open insults, repeated mockery, and ‘cancel culture’ continue to spread in the entertainment world in line with the widespread use of social media. Among those who have been the targets of cyberattacks is popular actress and host Saidatul Naseha Uyaina Arshad, better known as Uyaina Arshad, who recently attracted attention when she revealed the insults she received from netizens.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, for the 33-year-old celebrity, patience is not unlimited, and after being silent for so long, she finally took the courageous move, which she described as a form of advocacy and a reminder to the community that cyberbullying is no small matter. “If I don’t defend myself, who else will?” she expressed concern over the cyberbullying culture, which is increasingly accepted as normal in today’s society.
Uyaina admitted that she is fortunate to have strong support from family and friends, but acknowledged that many others may not be as lucky. “I may not be very affected, but others? Some are really hurt, some are depressed, some feel alone,” she said. Initially adopting the principle of ‘ignorance is bliss’, the former host of various television programs chose to remain silent for nine years, but when the false accusations became more extreme, she could no longer just bow to the pressure.
Uyaina shared that among the most hurtful messages she received were those targeting her family. “Some people question how my mother raised me. Some people tell stories about me when I was in school, even though they never even knew me. But they talk like they know everything,” she said. Uyaina urged her fellow celebrities to defend themselves against such attacks.
The problem of cyberbullying is not isolated to Uyaina alone, with other Malaysian celebrities like Mawar Rashid, Wani Kayrie, Ara Johari, Aina Abdul, and Janna Nick also reported as victims. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has taken down 8,756 cyberbullying-related content over the past year, a significant increase from the previous year.
Dr. Nur Haniz Mohd Nor from Taylor’s University highlighted the serious impact of reckless public shaming on celebrities’ mental well-being. She noted that while initially ignored, persistent negative comments can affect mental health and work performance. She also discussed the roles of fan culture and cancel culture in exacerbating social media toxicity.
Crime analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim pointed out that the perception of celebrities as public property contributes to their targeting by cyberbullies. He stressed that freedom of speech should not be misused to insult or defame others, including public figures.