Malaysian police officer faces disciplinary probe over viral ‘smelly’ Chinese video

Malaysia’s police chief has opened a disciplinary inquiry into a woman who appeared in viral videos mocking people in China as “smelly”, after the clips triggered anger in both countries and forced her into a public apology.
Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said on Tuesday authorities had begun an internal investigation into the personnel involved, identified by her lawyer as Nur Asyiqin Mohd Dalil.
“I have received information on the matter and we have recently opened a disciplinary investigation paper against the officer involved,” Khalid told reporters.
He urged the public to remain calm while police completed the inquiry, adding that action would not be limited to internal discipline if laws had been breached.
Uniformed personnel were bound by a code of conduct even when off duty or overseas, he said, adding that officers had to “protect the conduct and discipline expected of the force”.
The officer will remain in the force while investigations are under way. This Week in Asia has sought further comment from Khalid on the status of the investigation.
Nur Asyiqin’s lawyer, Muhammad Izwan Ishak, said she was “part of the force”, but did not specify her rank.
“So far, [there has been] no police report against her,” he told This Week in Asia, adding that Nur Asyiqin was still waiting for further instructions. Khalid has indicated Nur Asyiqin will be called by the police integrity and standards department for questioning.
The videos, allegedly first posted on Nur Asyiqin’s TikTok account ekyn.wong, show Malaysian tourists making disparaging remarks about people in China.

In one 25-second clip, a woman can be heard saying in Malay: “You all stink. You stink. Do you all not bathe?” as Chinese commuters wait to board a bus.
In another, she complains about noisy passengers on a train. A separate video shows an e-hailing driver while a voice in the background says: “Use deodorant, please. It stinks.”
The videos, which have since been deleted, sparked criticism from Malaysian and Chinese social media users, many of whom said the remarks were disrespectful and damaging to Malaysia’s image abroad.
Nur Asyiqin apologised on Saturday in a statement on TikTok, saying she took full responsibility for behaviour that had caused discomfort and unease.
“I genuinely regret my actions and realise that my behaviour was excessive,” she said. “As a result of this incident, I will be more careful in all my actions and will be more sensitive to public sentiments and sensitivities.”
Her apology came a day after her lawyers issued a cease-and-desist notice, saying she and her family had faced harassment, threats, doxxing and reputational damage. The law firm, Amirul Shahidda and Co, said it had been instructed to defend her legal rights against defamatory allegations and the spread of personal information.
Checks on Wednesday showed Nur Asyiqin had disabled comments on her TikTok account, which has 74,600 followers.