Man wins top prize in Malaysia's 'crybaby' contest

He cried as it happened and smiled when it was over.

A Malaysian man happily walked away with RM500 (S$150) after emerging as the top "crybaby" in a crying contest held at the Kelantan Event Expo this week.

He reportedly beat three other finalists. The second-place winner was awarded RM300 and the third-place winner went home with RM100. Consolation prizes were also handed out.

The contest was part of a larger event held at the expo, which is running from Jan 17 to Feb 28.

The event organiser, Mr Muhamad Nur Amin Che Nor Asri, told Malaysian newspaper Malay Mail that the competition began with 25 contestants and eventually narrowed down to the four finalists.

Several videos of the competition uploaded to the team's TikTok page have also gone viral, amassing more than one million views across three videos.

In the videos, a host counts down to the start of the contest as melancholic, heart-tugging instrumental music plays in the background.

The contestants, lined up in a row, do their best to conjure up tears. As their weeping whines grow into more aggressive wails, the hosts position the mic near the contestants' contorted faces to ensure that the audience can appreciate the melodramatic performances in full.

Mr Nur Amin said the contest was held to create more buzz at the expo.

He added this was the fourth time the contest was being held and that there may be future renditions of it.