Last Friday (Jun 2), a video of a shirtless and very buff man selling durians in Terengganu, Malaysia went viral on TikTok.

The jacked durian seller was later revealed to be a man named Ery Syarif, a single-father of three.

While his popularity has skyrocketed on social media, Ery's behaviour did not sit well with the Malaysian National Religious Affairs Administration Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Terengganu (JHEAT).

In fact, the JHEAT shared in a statement that they have advised Ery to refrain from showing off his body in public. 

According to the Senior Commissioner Chief Assistant (Dakwah Division) Zahari Sulong: "JHEAT is of the view that what went viral (the video) should not happen not only in Terengganu but everywhere because it opens room for defamation."

They also averred that according to the law, anyone who arouses sexual desire after revealing any parts of their body in public can be fined up to RM$3000 (S$878) if convicted.

But Ery doesn't seem to think there's anything wrong with what he was doing.

When speaking to Malaysian media mStar, Ery shared that the video was not a gimmick to attract customers. He also was not expecting said clip to blow up. 

"The video was taken by a family friend, sadly it got blown out of proportion by netizens. Now people think I'm deliberately flaunting my body," lamented Ery. 

He continued: "I'm not selling my dignity. I still have my pants on and [I'm] not just wearing my underwear. All people could see were my abs."

Ery, whose full-time job is managing his family's keropok lekor stall, also explained that he's been doing business in Terengganu in this manner since he was in his teens. 

"I grew up in a family of hawkers who worked in a market in Terengganu. I've been selling things without a shirt on since young. So I don't think this is any issue at all," reasoned Ery. "After all, I'm a bodybuilder, and I was hailed as the Mr. Body Cantik for three years in a row since 2017."

Watch the viral video of Ery on Tiktok below: