COMMENT | A Malay actress who wowed her fans with photos and videos of herself in an Indian outfit and accessories to promote her coloured contact lens was forced to apologise on Twitter recently when she was accused of cultural appropriation.

According to those who criticised her, it was wrong for a Malay woman to adorn herself in Indian cultural clothing and profiting off it when an actual Indian woman wearing the same clothing would not be received in the same manner.

I was quite dumbfounded reading numerous articles on the matter in different media as well as Facebook posts. My first thought was: “Why is it wrong for a Malay woman to dress in an Indian costume when it is acceptable for an Indian woman to dress in a Malay costume?”

A friend gave me a simple explanation, a 101 on culture appropriation. She said: “Imagine a black woman who is discriminated against for her braided hair, so much so she has to straighten her hair or put on a wig in order to fit into her society and be accepted.

“Now imagine a white woman who braids her hair as a fashion...