The plot thickens in Tun M’s “does he or does he not own?” saga behind now-defunct bakery ‘The Loaf.’ Don’t blame yourself if you are having any trouble keeping up.
Here is a timeline of how it unfolded:
April 9th:
Social media posting of The Loaf closing on Apr 12 nationwide, “Thank you very much for enjoying and supporting the Loaf and our breads all these long years. We are truly happy and proud of the fact that the Loaf has been able to contribute to the betterment of quality of breads and bakery industry in Malaysia,”
The Loaf’s Facebook page is unviewable as of writing.
April 12th:
The bakeries are shut nationwide.
April 13th (later in the evening):
Tun M denies any stake in The Loaf at a Felda rally in Bukit Tangga.
He deflected by admitting to “I only have some 200 unit shares with a tobacco company and with PNB which were awarded to me when I launched PNB products (when I was PM), ”
April 14th:
Barisan Nasional’s Strategic Communications deputy saw an opening for his own agenda added: “This is false. The Companies Commission of Malaysia’s (SSM) records shows that Dr Mahathir owns 10.062 million shares in M&M Consolidated Sdn Bhd, which is the owner of The Loaf. He is also a director of the company.”
April 15th:
The Straits Times reported that Tun M was trying to sell The Loaf to fund his fledgling party’s election campaign but due to unforeseen pressures by certain political bureaucrats, his plans fell by the wayside.
So what have we learned here? Always align your messaging to your main communications plan to avoid brain pain for the public. As we can see, a well-oiled machine can perform feats of acrobatic agility while maintaining a perfect ponytail. Stay tuned for more of this saga, blow by blow.
Also read: Famous Bakery The Loaf Abruptly Shuts Down All Branches in Malaysia on April 12