Malaysia’s first lady Wan Azizah politely declines Xi Jinping’s handshake, sparks debate on faith, culture and protocol

A video from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, which has gone viral on social media, shows Malaysian first lady Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail gently declining a handshake with Chinese President Xi Jinping, instead folding her hands and bowing in respect. This has sparked controversy online, as Azizah respected her religious mannerisms and refused to shake hands with the Chinese President, contrastingly PM Anwar Ibrahim went on with the diplomatic handshake with China’s First Lady, Peng Liyuan.

Users online quickly criticised the gender specific mannerism and criticised the patriarchy in Islam, “First Lady of Malaysia refused to shake hands with President Xi because Islam does not allow men to shake hands with women. Then why did PM Anwar Ibrahim shake hands with the First Lady of China? Pure hypocrisy,” read one post on social media platform X.

In contrast, some People defended her, saying that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has his religious faith, and first lady Wan Azizah has her own religious autonomy. "There’s no enforcement or compulsion on either side, which shows mutual respect and personal freedom. That’s how it should be,” said another user.

In Islam, it is a common practice for unrelated men and women to avoid contact with each other. However the video online had drawn criticism, while some explained her personal belief. Chinese President Xi Jinping have shown his own understanding of Islamic culture and appreciation of multicultural differences.