YOURSAY | The case of a RM5,500 designer shirt

 

YOURSAY | ‘What in heaven’s name prompted him to get such a pricey shirt?’

Netizens pan PM for wearing RM5,500 designer shirt

KH: There was a time when elected representatives, including ministers, used to make their suits - normally only black for official wear and at most two to three suits - at the family-run tailor shops in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Chow Kit). But times have changed.

Our politicians seem to have an obsession with finely cut suits, Swiss or Egyptian cotton shirts, fancy cars and jewellery for their children and wives, Richard Mille or Patek Philippe watches (many generously given as gifts by businessmen).

But this did not happen overnight. You could see the trend in the late 1980s and especially in the stock market boom years of the 1990s.

When you look at the shirts of great leaders, like those that South Africa’s Nelson Mandela frequently wore or the plain white shirts that Indonesia’s Joko Widodo wears, you know that these simple clothes do not take away any of the great qualities these leaders have.

I suppose when you have nothing else to show, you show your expensive shirts and watches instead.

Vijay47: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, or is that now Dr Ismail Sabri? Yours is a sad recurring track record that Malaysians cringe at.

First, you came out with that ridiculous Low Yat 2 idea, which like all Umno projects came crashing down with a costly bang. This was followed by your ‘Malaysia Got Talent’ skit where you displayed the art of swallowing whole turtle eggs.

Your next act was a twin-engine model - insisting that officials use only Bahasa Malaysia at international functions accompanied by still-born attempts at establishing it as lingua franca Asean. No doubt to Indonesia’s great amusement.

And to top that, you now make a fashion statement appearing in a ‘Mickey Mouse’ outfit. What in heaven’s name prompted you to get a RM5,500 shirt?

To show that Malaysian politicians do not baulk at extravagant accessories? That you are no longer in ‘Kansas’ Bera?

Yesterday I was at Connaught Place (in New Delhi) and I was hesitating for a long time whether to buy a 2,790 Indian rupee (RM157) pair of chappals.

For heaven’s sake, Ismail Sabri, you are an adult, maybe even a mature one. Dress your age! Stop trying to doll up like a rock star – you only succeed in looking like a clown. No doubt to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s great amusement.

Did you really expect girls to rush screaming for selfies with you as they do with Indonesian President Joko Widodo? You should be ashamed of the huge chasm - Joko carries himself humbly, while you come out as a joke.

Way To Go: The shirt costing more than RM5,000 could be the tip of the iceberg as far as Ismail Sabri's wardrobe is concerned. What about his other items such as shoes, watches, and his lifestyle as a whole that could cost a fortune?

Is this how a man would spend his hard-earned money? Would such a prime minister understand the people's plight? Especially those in the B40 (bottom 40 percent) sector, who struggle daily even for one decent meal under the present economic conditions?

Would this prime minister understand the enormity and impact of the crimes of the court cluster and the coterie of corrupted elites on the nation and the people that are likely to take a toll on generations of Malaysians to come?

While some Malaysians have built huge businesses from scratch creating mass employment, they lead a simple life because they know how they struggled to be where they are. But not all our politicians have the attitude of "make hay while the sun shines".

During election time, you will see politicians wearing simple clothes and even travel in ‘kapchai’ when visiting the rural folks for their votes. This is the way of the ruling elites. They live in a separate world.

GanMu: This is the lifestyle of the "rich and famous" of the Umno elites. He is merely emulating his ex-boss former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

After what Najib did to the nation and being a convicted criminal, he is still seen with the Agong, debating with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, campaigning for MCA in Johor, and even meeting with Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Ismail Sabri can do what Najib did, maybe more and still enjoy these “privileges of life". So, we should be very wary when we vote for Umno. This is a warning for us to wake up and do something, or we are doomed.

Darmakochi: Indeed, what nonsense is this? He talks about making Bahasa Malaysia the lingua franca of this region, about supporting local products and so on.

Then he goes wearing a very pricey foreign-branded shirt, most probably thinking it may impress the Singapore prime minister. For all official functions, please use our homemade Malaysian batik.

Kuniyo: Ismail Sabri is so out of touch with people, that's why he doesn't bother to solve the chicken shortage problem. The chicken shortage is so serious that even KFC ran out of chicken.

But it's okay, he will try to divert attention by portraying himself as ‘pejuang bahasa bangsa’ (champion of the people’s language), as if speaking Bahasa Malaysia can solve the chicken shortage and the rising cost of living.

Cyclonus: The print on the shirt looks like a bad Rorschach test... I already have an image dangling in my mind the more I look at it.

Anyway, why isn't Ismail Sabri wearing formal attire when meeting a head of state? - Mkini