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Editor's note: The story has been updated with a statement from Central Market.
Central Market Kuala Lumpur has come under fire after a series of social media posts promoting an upcoming event drew criticism from Malaysians, who described the captions as unprofessional and unbefitting of the heritage icon
The controversy began on Threads yesterday, 24 June, when Central Market shared promotional posts for its upcoming Pesta Kita event, scheduled to take place from 26 to 28 June.
However, instead of generating excitement, the captions quickly became the subject of criticism online, with many social media users questioning why an institution known for celebrating Malaysian heritage, arts, and culture was using "rempit" language that they felt undermined its reputation.
One user wrote, "Is this really Central Market's official account? THE Central Market? Who approved this?"
Several users said that while they understood the attempt to connect with younger audiences, the captions appeared AI-generated and "cringe", arguing that the tone failed to reflect the values associated with a cultural landmark.
Others noted that while brands can adopt a casual and relatable tone online, the posts crossed the line into being overly informal and inconsistent with Central Market's identity.
View on Threads
View on Threads
View on Threads
Following the backlash, Central Market removed the posts from Threads and issued a public apology
In a statement, the organisation said it took full responsibility for the content and acknowledged that the posts had caused hurt and disappointment.
"We would like to offer our most sincere apologies for our previous posts. We recognise that the content shared was insensitive and deeply hurtful, and we take full responsibility for the impact it has caused," the statement read.
Central Market added that the posts did not reflect its values and thanked members of the public for holding it accountable.
The organisation also announced that its social media channels would be managed by a new team moving forward
"To help us maintain a welcoming and positive space, our social media channels will be overseen by new admins — dedicated entirely to upholding the values and standards you expect from us," it said.
Although Central Market initially said it would permanently leave Threads following the controversy, the account remains active at the time of writing, though all previous posts have been removed.
In response to SAYS, Central Market reiterated its apology and said the controversial posts were the result of an oversight by one of its administrators
"We would like to address our recent online post and offer our sincere apologies. It was a mistake on our part, and we deeply regret the oversight," the organisation said.
Central Market said the post was "undeniably sensitive", particularly to its diverse community, and stressed that the statements made online did not reflect the values of either the organisation or the historic landmark itself.
"Central Market KL has been a long-cherished tourist landmark for years, yet we deeply appreciate and celebrate the unique culture that the younger generation has naturally built here around shared interests and aesthetics. The statements made online absolutely do not reflect our core values, let alone what this building represents," it said.
The organisation added that it takes full accountability for the incident and is committed to learning from the mistake by producing content that better reflects the standards expected by its community.
"We do hope Central Market Kuala Lumpur continues to grow and serve as a safe space that unites people regardless of identity and background.," it added.
