“A welcome home party is a plain joke” – PM Accused of Paying For Crowds to Welcome His Return

Some politicians have often been accused of taking advantage of certain situations in order to turn it into a publicity stunt or a marketing gimmick.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently shared a video of his return to Malaysia after his overseas trip. In the video, it can be seen that the Prime Minister was greeted by a crowd lining up at the airport terminal.

Once outside the airport, a second crowd welcomed him, singing songs thanking him for his service and posing for photographs with him.

In his post, Ismail Sabri writes, “Unexpectedly, a lot of people have come to welcome my arrival. Being able to meet everyone has made me lose the feeling of tiredness after the long journey.”

Just a gimmick?

However, some netizens claimed that the ‘crowds’ were all fake and were actually people who were paid to go to his arrival.

In an unverified screenshot of a conversation, a Twitter user asked the Prime Minister to clarify the message.

The message reads, “Looking for a 100 people to greet VVIPs at Subang airport. Have to be there on Sunday at 8:00am. RM100 per head.”

Although it is not certain whether the message is real or not, netizens appeared to be convinced that the crowd were paid to be there.

“How much are they paying, I wanna join, I need money,” joked a netizen.

Another user commented, “The people in this video are probably paid to be worshipping him. Who sings a terima kasih song to a Prime Minister.”

Criticised by MPs

Several MPs have also criticised the gathering of crowds that welcomed the Prime Minister home from the US. They even claimed that it was simply a marketing gimmick and a publicity stunt.

Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh wrote, “Unless you win the World Cup or bring home a gold medal at the Olympics… having such a welcome home party is a plain joke.”

“What kind of assistants our PM hired to do such a foolish cosmetic gimmick. From Women Minister to PM – all just about cosmetic!”

Unless you win the World Cup or bring home a gold medal at the Olympics… having such a welcome home party is a plain joke. What kind of assistants our PM hired to do such foolish cosmetic gimmick. From Women Minister to PM – all just about cosmetic! https://t.co/wpr0KWqGd6

— Hannah Yeoh (@hannahyeoh) May 15, 2022

Meanwhile, Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii shared Yeoh’s sentiments and asked, “How much was spent for such gimmick to welcome the PM for just coming home after a meeting overseas?”

“Even our athletes who have won international competitions on the biggest stage are not given such a reception,” he added.

How much was spent for such gimmick to welcome the PM for just coming home after a meeting overseas?

Even our athletes who have won international competitions on the biggest stage are not given such a reception…. https://t.co/h6vDUFQt42

— Kelvin yii (@Kelvinyii88) May 15, 2022

Watch the video below:

Alhamdulillah selamat sampai ke tanah air ??

Pulang ke Malaysia tercinta setelah melakukan lawatan kerja ke Amerika Syarikat bagi menghadiri Sidang Kemuncak Khas ASEAN-Amerika Syarikat di Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/Jmktpa4oQZ

— Ismail Sabri (@IsmailSabri60) May 15, 2022

What do you think of the gathering of crowds during his return. Simply a gimmick or could it be real? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: “The most embarrassing photo op” Malaysians Criticise Video of PM Visiting Flood Victims