Instagram Influencer Gets Told Off For Damaging Plants In A KL Photoshoot
"The reason those flowers and shrubs were planted is for decoration and beautification, not to be destroyed by you."
By May Vin Ang — 12 May 2020, 06:20 PM
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has called out a Malaysian Instagram influencer for damaging public property during a photoshoot in the city centre
Last Saturday, 9 May, fashion entrepreneur Nur Liyana Abdul Rahman uploaded a video and picture on her Instagram account @leeyanarahman.co of one of her models lying down in the shrubbery at the River of Life (ROL) project in Kuala Lumpur.
According to Malay Mail, her model, Iman Alyssa Sahabudin, was helped by the crew to lie back against the bushes to shoot a picture.
In the video they uploaded, a loud snap was heard from the branches before they quickly pulled her back on her feet.
Nur Liyana posted the results of their photoshoot to her 1.2 million followers with the caption, "Are women determined in everything they do or are they only good at taking photos? Women are willing to do anything to get beautiful photos right?"
"The saying is true, life needs sacrifices."
DBKL has since warned the influencer that she committed two offences at the waterfront which the government took the initiative to restore and beautify
"No matter who you are, or what your intentions were, you have committed an offence here," wrote DBKL in a Facebook post on the same day that her post went up.
"Firstly, you damaged property belonging to the Kuala Lumpur mayor under the Vandalism By-laws and secondly, you carried out filming without permission of the mayor," said DBKL, reminding everyone that activities such as photoshoots and filming carried out at ROL requires prior permission.
"The reason those flowers and shrubs were planted is for decoration and beautification, not to be destroyed by you."
ROL has also reprimanded Nur Liyana for her team's irresponsible behaviour and warned that action may be taken
Sharing Nur Liyana's video on their own Instagram account, they asked, "Is it worth sacrificing public property for one single photo?"
"There is a time and place for determination. If the plants are ruined, get ready to be compounded."
Netizens hope that DBKL will take action against the fashion designer so that impressionable followers would not do the same in the future
"It only takes two seconds for each person (to damage the plants). Imagine how many people in KL would do the same? Those shrubs will die. Why do they want to ruin nice things," wondered a Facebook user.
"Make them pay a compound and teach them manners through community service with DBKL for two to three months. That way nobody else will take these behaviours lightly," suggested another user.
While this netizen more heavily criticised, "Ask her and her crew to plant those shrubs, DBKL should only supply the plants and the landscaping tools. We want to see if they can stand the work of digging holes, measuring perimeters, and placing distance between each tree."
He asked people to consider how much money the government spends on keeping the city beautiful and maintained.
