A screenshot of the Sukan Star TV video, titled ‘Perempuan melayu dicabul atas pentas oleh mat kpop semalam’ (Malay girls molested on stage by K-Pop artists last night). — YouTube videograb

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Enraged by molest allegations in Malaysia against her favourite K-pop artists, a 45-year-old mother of three in Georgia in the United States has started an online campaign to defend South Korean band B1A4.

Of her own volition, Heidi Lyon, a translation editor for Korean dramas, kicked off the campaign Monday from her blog, urging fellow K-pop fans to help stop the spread of articles and videos of the group allegedly molesting several Malay girls during a recent mini-concert here.

“Removing the more harmful articles and videos was important. I think the main objective was to keep the four female fans that went on stage, as well as B1A4, protected from as much backlash as possible,” she told Malay Mail Online via email.

In her blog page, Lyon asked all B1A4 fans or “BANAs” as they call themselves, to email all administrators of websites and blogs with articles claiming the popular K-pop boys had molested their fans onstage.

She also urged the BANAs to claim that the articles are defamatory in nature that that they have resulted in death threats.

To date, Lyon said her blog post has received more than 2,000 hits and was being spread through other B1A4 and K-pop fan pages.

“The response on my end has been great. We were able to remove some videos and articles.

“We’re still working on some, or at least changing the title of the articles, to be less inflammatory about the situation,” Lyon said.

“Now the WM Entertainment and TGM Events have both issued statements, things are starting to quiet down a bit.

“We will work behind the scenes to try and improve the information that is out there without being ‘keyboard warriors’ that simply attack without benefit to anyone,” she added.

Since Lyon’s blog post titled “Call to Arms for B1A”, Malay Mail Online has received a barrage of emails from BANAs urging for the removal of articles accusing B14A of molest.

The emails follow the template provided by Lyon in her blog, which accuses media organisations of unethical reporting.

“As you know, not all Muslims hold strictly to the physical touch laws in their religion. Others are forcing their opinions and beliefs on everyone involved and have caused them all problems.

“While I understand a desire to report relevant stories and news, this is neither. It is, however, hurting both the girls involved in the story and the kpop singers. Death threats have been issued and it is rumoured one of the girls has been hospitalised,” the emails say.

Lyon said that she heard about the incident from BANAs in Malaysia who went to her, ostensibly in tears, to seek comfort as they saw her as an aunt or mom.

“I talked with them for hours to try and calm them down. That’s how I originally found out what happened and, after my friends translated some of the articles and comments to me, I felt something needed to be done. I just wanted to reach as many as possible to try and help,” she said.

Prior to this, B1A4, which she insists is an innocent group, has not had to deal with any major controversy, despite having done the same things in other fan meets.

A video of the K-pop band cosying up with the Malay girls during the mini-concert went viral on Sunday night, garnering thousands of Facebook shares and comments ranging from anger and indignance to amusement.

The 3.21 minute-long video had been uploaded on the Sukan Star TV Facebook page with the suggestive title “Perempuan melayu dicabul atas pentas oleh mat kpop semalam” (Malay girls molested on stage by K-Pop artists last night) .

In the video, three K-pop stars from the group were seen interacting with three Malay fans on stage, with one of the artists hugging a fan from the back.

Despite the clip’s title, however, the fans were seen smiling and laughing and later hugged the artist back after turning to face him.

Lyon claimed that the comments on social media have weighed heavily on the fans, some as young as 14, and many were distressed by the harsh reaction to what was meant to be clean fun.

“There were comments said these girls should be identified and stoned to death, others that said if B1A4 ever came to Malaysia again, they were risking their lives, and more,” she said, adding that she herself had received a death threat after posting the campaign.

“I spoke in length with many of my Muslim friends to find out what exactly what could be viewed as wrong and why. I learned that many Muslim girls wear the hijab because family makes them, or because it’s tradition,” she said.

“The only thing we hoped to gain, or at least me personally, was that the boys and girls that went on stage were not harmed by this incident,” said Lyon.

Malaysia’s religious authorities are currently investigating the incident under local Islamic laws and have called the Malay girls in the video to come forward for the probe.

They are said to have violated Section 29 of the Shariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997, which allows for a fine of up to RM1,000 and imprisonment of no more than six months upon conviction.