KUALA LUMPUR – Food review videos by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the prime minister's special advisor Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu are making rounds on social media, and have seemed to leave a bad taste in the mouths of netizens.
The first video apparently appeared on TikTok showing Faizal, better known as Peja, enjoying a bowl of “mee kari” in his Putrajaya office, as he gives a thorough explanation of how the dish tastes.
In the video, Peja said that having eaten the dish daily when in Ipoh, he rated the dish prepared in Putrajaya 8.5 out of 10.
Ini la dia apa yg diaorang buat kat pejabat….MENTERI gaji ribu riban pakai duit rakyat bikin food review!! siel pic.twitter.com/JHu8Kk5zsN
— N͟͟͟͞͞͞o͟͟͟͞͞͞r͟͟͟͞͞͞m͟͟͟͞͞͞a͟͟͟͞͞͞n͟͟͟͞͞͞ (@TuaiRumahKita) August 13, 2021
Meanwhile, another video making rounds shows Ismail Sabri enjoying a cake shaped like a durian, in which he gives positive feedback and states the name of the bakery where the cake came from.
Memang ada KPI khas untuk review makanan rasanya. pic.twitter.com/IvDWeM1neJ
— Pemantau Malaysia (@Pemantau__MY) August 12, 2021
It is not stated when the videos were taken.
However, netizens did not take too kindly to these videos as the country continues to battle a political and health crisis.
“@IsmailSabri60 share a little bit, as the food review you're doing in the middle of a pandemic looks tasty.
“In the one minute you did the video, how many citizens have died because of Covid?” @MyHasFallen tweeted.
@IsmailSabri60 share sikit dato. Macam sedap je tengok dato buat food review tengah2 pandemik kes 21k sehari. Dalam dato buat video seminit tu, berapa ramai rakyat dato mati sebab covid ??? lepasni buat review cake pisang pulak dato
— MalaysiaHasFallen ???️? (@MyHasFallen) August 13, 2021
“Whoa ... a new task and responsibility for ministers – doing a food review. Today, it crossed my timeline with Peja with curry mee and Ismail Sabri reviewing a durian cake.
“Yes, this is demi rakyat when every day thousands are infected with the virus, and hundreds died,” @Alawiyah Yusof tweeted.
Whoa...a new task and responsibility for ministers - doing a food review.
— Alawiyah Yussof ? (@AlawiyahYussof) August 13, 2021
Today, it crossed my TL with @PejaOfPerak with curry mee and @IsmailSabri60 reviewing a durian cake.
Yes, this is 'demi rakyat' when everyday thousands are infected with the virus, and hundreds died.
“Look how desperate ministers are for money that they are willing to do food reviews,” @aimanova_ tweeted.
kau tgk la punya la terdesak menteri nak cari duit sampai buat food review ? https://t.co/683wVU6FRy
— ? (@aimanova_) August 13, 2021
“Right now do you want to be a special advisor and solve the nation’s problem or you want to be a paid food reviewer?
“There are citizens out there who can't eat...and you want to show you’re eating good food?” @RozyRazit tweeted.
Skrg ni ko nak jd penasihat menteri utk selesaikan masalah rakyat ke ko nak jd food paid review?? Rakyat ade yg tak makan la ngok.. Ko masih nak tunjuk ko makan sedap.. Hauk nya la perangai ko ek menganjing rakyat!! ?? https://t.co/3DqYHcwDoH
— Rozy Razit ? (@RozyRazit) August 13, 2021
habis la instapemes, menteri rembat job food review, esok doremon pulak review produk kecantikan https://t.co/EkeJS0iB5z
— farissz ??? (@farisfwn_) August 12, 2021
"Instafamous ministers are sweeping food review jobs. Maybe tomorrow Doraemon will review beauty products,” @fariswn_ said. – The Vibes, August 13, 2021