YESTERDAY (July 2), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said that the Government had no choice but to continue subsidising chicken prices as short-term measure to mitigate rising cost of living.
However, he raised eyebrows when he said that migrants staying in Malaysia are “unfairly” enjoying the benefits meant for locals.
“Bangladeshi workers and the Rohingyas (who) we often criticise also eat chickens and we are paying for the subsidies,” the Bera MP was reported saying by The Vibes, at the Malaysian Trades Union Congress’ 42nd triennial delegates’ conference.
However, the prime minister’s xenophobic statement did not go down well with netizens who took to social media to berate him.
He added:
Netizen Shahlan Bin Sabari retorted:
(The PM’s son in law is foreigner too. Don’t let him consume subsidised chicken)
It is to note that Ismail Sabri’s son in law, Datuk Jovian Mandagie is an Indonesian by birth. The fashion designer is married to his daughter, Nina Sabrina Ismail Sabri.
Shameful but not surprising
Back to the Bera MP’s statement, user Ad Hamzah stated that Ismail Sabri was only making a mockery of himself by making such attacks on Malaysia’s migrant workforce.
(What an embarrassing statement from a prime minister. I know of Bangladeshis who only purchase chicken one a month)
User Movie Goer noted:
Netizen Burt Berkarat reminded netizens of what Ismail Sabri is by pointing to a statement he made in February 2015, where he urged Malay consumers to boycott Chinese traders to bring down prices, with a caption, “Were you surprised?” – July 3, 2022
