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A man dressed as the iconic caped crusader has been ‘arrested’ by PDRM, but it turned out to be a staged performance for students of SK Parit Bunga, Johor.
It seems that Johor PDRM has succeeded where Gotham City PD has failed. The elusive night vigilante has finally been apprehended in broad daylight, but not for his unique brand of serving justice but for something else entirely!
According to initial sources, he was recorded being handcuffed by police officers for not carrying identification – or was he?
On Tuesday, a 13-second video that took the internet by storm featured a man in a batman costume being escorted by two police officers with his hands behind him to a police car.
@batmanmalaysia BATMAN tak lari..tetap hormat PDRM Malaysia..Kalau SALAH tetap tangkap!!! #batmanmalaysia #batmanmalaysiadarkknight #batmanbangkit #batmancosplayer #batmankenatangkap #pdrm #pdrmmalaysia ♬ Powerful songs like action movie music – Tansa
The video has since amassed a whopping 10 million views in a day alone on Facebook and Tiktok, and Batman Malaysia has become an internet sensation; compared by netizens to the infamous Kluang Man.
When asked what he had done to be receiving justice rather than the one dishing it out, Batman Malaysia simply replied that he was an upstanding citizen and was innocent! Aren’t they all?
However, this time it turned out to be true! The whole arrest was actually staged, a publicity stunt for social media content creation.
The ‘arrest’ took place on the grounds of SK Parit Bunga, in conjunction with its 100th anniversary celebration.
‘Batman’ was invited to perform at SK Parit Bunga
“I was invited by the principal of the school, Cikgu Muhmmad Zaki, to perform the opening act for SK Parit Bunga’s 100th anniversary school festival,” he said. “The police were there by invitation to enliven the festival proceedings.”
During the interview, Batman Malaysia, embodying the full Batman persona to the end, refused to disclose his real identity and day job.
He did explain, however, that he was a cosplayer for hire, dressing up as dark, looming and mysterious superheroes.
This was, however, not his first rodeo. He was also recognised back in 2016 when he created the Batpod with a bike-builder group Eastern Bobber.
The caped crusader has been at this for almost 10 years, and he would perform at school functions and other events on occasion. The recent ‘arrest’ seems to have solidified his niche as Malaysia’s version of the iconic caped crusader.
@batmanmalaysia Batman Gimmick Appearance for SK PARIT BUNGA JOHOR… #batman #batmanmalaysia #festival #schoolfestival #schollevent #batmancosplayer #cosplayer #batmanmalaysiadarkknight ♬ Aggressive Expansion – Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
All in good fun, or made in poor taste?
While many Malaysians found this affair funny, some may argue that using the royal police force service for a gimmick and personal gain was in poor taste. After all, the primary role of the police is to protect citizens and prevent crime.
The police force is a professional body that upholds law and order. Through patrols, investigations, and rapid response to emergencies, the police help reduce the incidence of crime and ensure that people feel safe in their communities.
To use the police for attention, while it was a cute event, might be seen as cheapening the value of such an esteemed organ of the state. If the police are seen as participating in gimmicks, it can diminish their authority in the eyes of the public.
The real reason PDRM ‘arrested’ Batman?
On the other hand, Batman has always existed outside of the system and the ‘arrest’ can be seen as a way for PDRM to drive home the message not to take fighting crime into their own hands, which is still considered a crime.
While Batman is a hero who stands for justice in comic books, the take-home message for young, impressionable kids who look up to Batman is that regular Malaysian citizens should not be taking the law into their own hands, regardless of how tempting it may be.
Even if vigilantism is for a noble reason, doing so has led to instances of violence in the past, such as the petrol bomb attacks on KK mart as retaliation against the chain for displaying religiously insensitive socks on their shelves.
Also, it is an important message to kids to always carry their IC with them for identification purposes. While you may not be taken to the lockup for not carrying your ID, you are still required to have it on your person at all times for identification purposes.
That being said, in this writer’s opinion, a one-off event isn’t sufficient to do much damage, if any. Let Batman Malaysia have his day in the sun, or the night if you will.
What do you think of this story?
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Also read: Meet Crimsonbat, Malaysia’s Very Own Real Life Superhero.
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