Adidas Singapore draws ire of Indonesians after claiming 'wayang kulit' as Malaysian

Adidas Singapore has apologised for overlooking the origins of wayang kulit, or shadow puppet theatre, in a recent Instagram post.

On Nov 9, Adidas Singapore posted an homage to wayang kulit while promoting one of its latest shoe models.

In the post, the traditional art form was highlighted as a significant part of Malaysia's cultural heritage.

However, it was met with backlash from Indonesians for not acknowledging that wayang kulit originated in Indonesia.

The post has since garnered over 42,000 comments from netizens, most of whom took issue with Indonesia not getting due credit.

In an Instagram Story on Tuesday (Nov 16), Adidas Singapore apologised for any unintentional offence that may have been taken and said that the post has since been amended.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by adidas Singapore (@adidassg)

"While working with the artist to develop a design representative of Malaysia and Southeast Asia's heritage, we were humbly inspired by the rich cultural heritage across SEA countries," the statement said.

"For avoidance of doubt, neither the brand nor the artist intended to claim the cultural art form from Indonesia."