You can always depend on K-pop fans to hijack online movements they don’t agree with, especially when it comes to matters of alleged injustice. Much like when the fans flooded the #Whitelivesmatter hashtag with edited videos of their idols back in June. This week, K-pop fans in Malaysia proved that they are no different.
The “#Standwithdaisyed” hashtag that appeared to show support for Da’i Syed, an Islamic evangelist accused of sexual assault, including rape, towards at least six women now, trended on Twitter last night with more than 10,000 tweets, but mostly from people who are not fans of Syed, whose real name is Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohammad Shaiful Jamalullail. In fact, “#Standwithdaisyed” trended under the K-pop category.
Syed has been in police custody since Friday and will continue to do so until Sunday while investigations related to sexual assault take place. His fan, known on Twitter as @Nnielss, appeared to be the first person to tweet out #Standwithdaisyed on Nov. 28, saying just a day before his arrest that she was missing him.
Instead of calling her out in the comments like many others, K-pop fans took a different approach by deliberately hijacking the hashtag with fancams and edits of their beloved idols like BTS, Mamamoo’s Hwasa and EXO’s Sehun dancing, singing, and serving looks.
Why you have to stan dai syed when you can stan this 7 boys 💜💜#standwithdaisyed pic.twitter.com/zAKNHOnJZl
— Nurinxx (@bitiessforever) December 3, 2020
Dont mind me we’re hijacking this hashtag #standwithdaisyed pic.twitter.com/fMUszwxkqR
— El (@elvysjayan26) December 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/sevlgrene/status/1334046808406781954
The hashtag also spread to fans of UK boy group One Direction, who contributed to the trend with photos of Harry Styles.
stan Harry Styles for the better grades #standwithdaisyed pic.twitter.com/x6fTxx45Wy
— 🇲🇾 | harries (@legendH4rry_) December 2, 2020
Some commented on how much they enjoyed seeing the hashtag getting hijacked.
“That’s why I love K-pop stans,” @TetuanAmalina wrote yesterday. “They hijacked the hashtag #standwithdaisyed and drowned out the comments that support him. Same move like the US kpop stans that hijacked the “white lives matter” hashtag. I love Malaysian K-pop stans!”
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