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13 April 2018

Two women cry foul after images used for political party memes


Two women cry foul after images used for political party memes

FAIRUL ASMAINI MOHD PILUS
New Straits Times13 April 2018



KUALA LUMPUR: A teenager has lodged a police report and is considering legal action after discovering that her picture was altered by irresponsible quarters as material on the 14th General Election.

Aidaazira, a Twitter user, said she did not expect to be used by political parties or their supporters, whom she said used her image without her permission for online material.

The 19-year-old said she felt stressed when her acquaintances, including her lecturers, asked her about the image when it went viral yesterday. She said the edited image was even used on the front page of a local English daily.

“When campaigning, don’t involve those who have nothing to do with politics.

“As if it’s not enough that you steal my picture, you then make it into a poster.. if you want to campaign, by all means go ahead. But there’s no need to place a picture with a salacious caption,” she wrote on her Twitter account, @aidaazirx_.





A teenager has lodged a police report and is considering legal action after discovering that her picture was altered by irresponsible quarters as material on the 14th General Election. Pic source SOCIAL MEDIA

Aidaazira, who has 2,812 Twitter followers, said she has since lodged a police report on the use of the picture.

“I want the person who stole this private picture to apologise. What they did was too much.

“I do not condone or agree to this. This has made me hate politics even more,” she said.

Her image was used for a meme, showing her with a light blue tudung, with the caption: “Bang, pilih biru muda saja tau bukan bini muda (Darling, choose light blue, not a young wife”. The caption was a play on words on the light blue colour (biru muda) of the political party’s logo, and the words ‘bini muda’, which indicates taking on another wife, usually a younger woman.

While many see it as a tongue-in-cheek look at the state of politics, another woman, whose image was used without her consent, did not see the funny side of things.

Wendy Lean, a model, said a five-year-old picture of her was doctored and used by irresponsible quarters for political purposes.

Lean, via a statement posted on Facebook, denied that she had modeled for a political campaign and only learnt of the matter when told by friends.

“This is a stock image which I took five years ago. It has been purchased by the third party from a stock company,” she wrote.

She clarified that she did not take a picture with the political party’s logo, and that it was digitally-altered.

The actual stock image showed her and another female model posing with a sign which bore the word ‘Like’.

Lean said, following the discovery, she contacted the image company and obtained confirmation that the images by the company cannot be used for political purposes.

“I hope the public are not easily fooled. Please stop spreading the image,” she said. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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