An elderly man drinking stout on an LRT train has gone viral, sparking debate over public transport rules and alcohol consumption laws.
EATING and drinking on Malaysian public transport is, for the most part, prohibited to maintain hygiene and cleanliness for other passengers.
This rule recently irked netizens after a viral post on Threads showed an elderly man, believed to be travelling on an LRT train, drinking an canned alcoholic beverage.
A Malaysian man who uploaded the post claimed that he attempted to look for an auxiliary police officer to handle the situation but was unable to do so.
A video attached to the post — mostly blurred to protect the identities of the elderly man and other passengers — showed the man seated in the LRT coach drinking what was believed to be stout.
ALSO READ: MRT clip of woman on crutches standing sparks empathy row
Malaysian law prohibits the consumption of alcohol in public spaces, and offenders in certain states, such as Negeri Sembilan, can be fined up to RM2,000.
As the post gained traction, the official Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) Threads account commented, advising the man to press the intercom button in the LRT to report such incidents directly.
While many users criticised the man’s actions, others defended him, citing the alleged health benefits of stout.
“Most people do not consume stout to get drunk; it is basically for body pain. Older people drink it like a tonic,” one user claimed.
“Strange. In the past, people respected the rule that food and drinks were not allowed in these spaces. Now it seems like people want to challenge these rules — it doesn’t matter whether they are young or old,” another netizen remarked.
