'This was a stupid post': Influencer apologises after obituary-style announcement draws backlash

Singaporean content creator Fauzi Azzhar has issued an apology on social media after facing backlash for posting his travel announcement in an obituary-style image on Monday (Dec 22). 

In a video uploaded to his Instagram, Fauzi acknowledged that while he had intended the post to be funny, it was inappropriate due to sensitive issues such as mental health, which he discusses on his channel. 

"I apologise to all of you who were scared for a split second. Yes, you laughed about it but after reflecting a little more, I think it’s not funny," said Fauzi. 

"This was a stupid post because I talk about mental health on my social media platform, which makes it ironic that I (went ahead) and posted this thinking it was funny." 

Fauzi, who has over 40,000 followers on Instagram, also shared that he was concerned by a negative comment made by a follower in response to his post. 

"It scares me because this person has been following me for quite a bit, (which suggests) they have certain feelings towards me. I wonder why," he said. 

"It made me realise what kind of followers am I getting — do we have observers who want the downfall of me." 

Fauzi added that, although he feels it is normal for him to joke and talk about serious topics at the same time, he is fully aware that his actions were wrong. 

"I am very aware that it was wrong of me to scare my loved ones, especially since they were messaging me. I really appreciate all your concerns, but I have to delete that post," he said. 

In the comments section, several netizens weighed in, with some showing support while others acknowledged his apology. 

"Thank you for realising this and apologising. Sometimes there are hits and sometimes there are misses. You have been mostly hitting it, so keep doing your thing," said one user. 

Another commented, "Mental health and comedy can be a very fine line to walk. I think it’s really good and encouraging that you took the time to reflect on what you posted and share your afterthoughts." 

The video has since garnered over 10,000 likes and 100 comments. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com