Less than a week after its release, the Malaysian Chinese New Year (CNY) film Ah Beng vs Liang PoPo has surpassed RM8,132,088 at the box office, according to GSC Cinemas.
However, a Malaysian social media user has since alleged that the film’s record-breaking performance is merely a hoax. To support her claim, she shared screenshots purportedly showing empty cinema halls during screenings of the movie at a Kuala Lumpur mall.
“I thought this movie was breaking the box office. I wanted to watch it at MyTown, but all the halls are empty, and I’m afraid of ghosts. I don’t think I’ll be watching,” she wrote.
“Are they saying this movie performs well because the ghosts are watching?” the woman sarcastically questioned in a Facebook group.
Jack Lim refutes the claim
There is, however, a crucial detail many might have overlooked. One of the film’s lead stars, Jack Lim, broke his silence last night (24 February), pointing out that the “hater” was spreading baseless rumours.
In a Facebook video, Lim scrutinised the screenshots of the empty halls, revealing that the showtime date was clearly listed as Tuesday (24 February).
Lim cross-checked the claims using a movie ticketing application approximately four hours after the user’s post. His review confirmed that while most Tuesday morning and afternoon showtimes had no bookings, several nighttime screenings showed active ticket sales.
Before commenting further, Lim, who is also a well-known radio DJ, checked the showtimes for other CNY movies on the same day, which yielded similar results. He then discovered another screenshot in the comments section where the same user was promoting a rival local CNY film, I’m Not Gangster, showing a theatre that was half-full.
The discrepancy, Lim noted, lay in the timing: that specific screening was at 10 PM on a Monday (23 February), rather than during mid-week working hours.
“You’re smart, but we’re not stupid”
Lim “decoded” the netizen’s tactics by highlighting the end of the festive break.
“Do you think everyone is as free as you? The school holidays are over. People are back at work. Of course, no one is watching a movie on a weekday morning. It’s too early,” he remarked.
He sarcastically “praised” the woman for her attempt to mislead the public with the I’m Not Gangster screenshot, suggesting she was clever, but ultimately not clever enough to fool an observant audience.
“I don’t get these haters. Who sent you?” he asked, though he concluded by wishing the woman well.
Ah Beng vs Liang PoPo features Jack Lim reprising his popular “Ah Beng” persona alongside Singaporean actor and filmmaker Jack Neo. Neo returns as the iconic “Liang PoPo,” a character he has portrayed for over three decades.
