M’sian Man Uses Viral Meme To Raise Awareness On Drink Driving

Malaysian raises awareness on drink driving with meme

Memes are a social phenomenon that many of us utilise online to express our #feels when words don’t quite cut it. And as Malaysians are living through the Movement Control Order (MCO) and unprecedented times, it’s not a surprise that memes have become a mainstay in our lives that we don’t even bat an eyelid when we come across them while scrolling through our social media feeds.

But a Malaysian man has been turning heads as he drove around KL with a viral dancing pallbearer meme stuck on his car to help spread awareness about drink driving.

Spreading a message on drink driving with memes

Mohd Azhar Osman shared photos of his unique method to spread awareness on the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol on his Facebook account on 2nd June 2020.

It showed his car bearing signs such as, “Please don’t drink and drive for a prosperous Malaysia.” There’s also the famous dancing pallbearer meme stuck on his doors and windows with yellow tape and a tongue-in-cheek message: “You drunk – you drive. We are ready for you.”

Image credit: Mohd Azhar Osman

If you haven’t seen the dancing pallbearer meme before, here’s its backstory: The men are pallbearers for hire who dance at funerals in Ghana with the original aim of changing the perception of funerals from a time to mourn to instead, celebrate life.

In 2017, after being featured in a BBC documentary, the group’s moves went viral, and they became a meme for people who appreciate dark humour. The meme has become popular again recently during the COVID-19 pandemic as a dark comedy response to those refusing to stay home.

Malaysians were quick to catch on with the viral meme, with a funeral parlour in Kedah even recreating their own version of it. Osman now joins the list after including it as part of his efforts to spread awareness on the dangers of drink driving in a modern meme-filled way.

And he’s been driving his car around KL, Klang, PJ, and Subang Jaya with the meme and posters on his car for 3 days. An update on his Facebook page yesterday showed that he is continuing his efforts.

Image credit: Mohd Azhar Osman

According to Malay Mail, Osman, who has 10,000 followers on Facebook, decided to do this to help educate people offline and online in a more “positive manner.” And he came up with this response after seeing Malaysians having disharmonious debates on drink driving online.

Osman also shared that he has been receiving positive responses from Malaysians while driving on the road with the makeshift posters stuck on his car, with some even giving him thumbs-ups and others honks of approval.

Malaysian man raise awareness on drink driving with viral meme

It’s no secret that drink driving is a rising issue in Malaysia, with 21 fatalities related to it already reported in 2020. This is why we’re applauding Osman for spreading awareness on the issue and also promoting peace during these tough times for all Malaysians.

Keep updated with news in Malaysia: