HIGHER Education Minister Noraini Ahmad drew criticism from social media users after posting a video of herself on the TikTok platform aimed at getting Malaysians to stay indoors during the movement control order (MCO).

The video, which she posted to Twitter and later deleted, showed her bopping her head to the new viral tune Kesana, Kesini, which is based on snippets taken from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s speech on the MCO to curb the spread of Covid-19.

In the video, two social media influencers, Noreen and Iskandar Rahman, are featured where they wore face shields and did silly dances to the tune.

Noraini’s video drew flak, especially from students on Twitter, who said she has misplaced priorities.

“It’s unbelievable. While students all over are worried sick about conducting e-learning and postgraduate students are concerned over their halted progress, or over the status of their grants, there’s not even one mention by this minister.

“Instead, she (keeps) silent and suddenly (comes) out with this? Remember how the ministry delayed the announcement on the issue of whether students should stay or leave campus?” Ain Fatin said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Khairul Azri tweeted that the minister should be pushing out e-learning platforms, or skill training classes, or subsidised online courses since students are stuck at home or on campus.

“For example, she may consider providing subsidies to students who enrolled in webinars, then the webinar organisers can earn income from new students, do we need to teach you that too?”

Another Twitter user, Dayah Jamal, said the minister could have chosen high performing students to create an awareness campaign instead.

“I can accept a TikTok contest but why can’t they plan something or pick someone who has some relevance with the Higher Education Ministry?

“I mean, they could have chosen someone who excelled in his studies, do some awareness campaign perhaps. I mean you’re a minister, for god’s sake. Surely you can come out with something better.”

Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi tweeted that with her new position as minister, Noraini should be more concerned about student welfare and their academic progress.

“There are some off-campus students who struggle with getting food. Better focus on those rather than TikTok”.

When the MCO began last month on March 18, there was much confusion for university students who were at first not allowed to stay on campus.

This caused a rush to secure tickets and crowding at train and bus terminals, leading to fears about the virus spread.

Noraini’s ministry then changed the instruction for students, giving them to option to stay on campus or go home, but later changed this again to a stay-put order on campus for the duration of the MCO. – April 9, 2020.