“It’s Because He Supports Palestine” Say Ismail Sabri Supporters On Elon Musk Snubbing Malaysia For Indonesia
The prime minister has been compared with Indonesian president Jokowi Widodo who met up with Elon Musk.
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Menang sorak, kampung tergadai (winning the battle but losing the war), a well-known Malay proverb, best describes how some Malaysians feel right now.
They criticised Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob after he came back to Malaysia with a hero’s welcome by supporters.
Ismail Sabri said he suggested to Tesla to invest in Malaysia in producing electric cars.
He made the comment during a recent working visit in Washington DC.
But while he said that, Elon Musk was having talks with the Indonesian president Jokowi Widodo on setting up a Tesla battery hub in the archipelago (while enjoying Kopiko sweets).
Rubbing salt to injury is the fact that the Indonesian leader, popularly known as Jokowi, was also there in Washington DC.
Both Ismail Sabri and Jokowi attended ASEAN-US Special Summit and meet the US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other leaders of ASEAN countries.
Ini leader @jokowi yg patut dicontohi… Bukan membeli glemor utk naikkan nama sendiri!? Mcm @IsmailSabri60 pic.twitter.com/U2t0Kif1Vy
— Mohd Amran (@armana6797) May 16, 2022
Jokowi pulang bawa pelaburan Trillion dollar. Disambut minima pegawai2 protokol.@IsmailSabri60 balik kosong. Acah2 hero dengan makcik2 banner. Lepas tu lantik mat probok jadi duta. Membazir duit rakyat dan memalukan negara je yang kau tau.#KerajaanGagalKembali https://t.co/y59W8m91dF
— Hirman Arsha (@hirman74) May 17, 2022
War Of Words
Already, the comparison between the two ASEAN leaders has started a mudslinging contest between netizens of both nations.
Ismail Sabri’s supporters said those who criticise the prime minister are jealous of his popularity.
They also accused Musk of choosing Indonesia because Ismail Sabri stood up for Palestine against Israel.
READ MORE: Palestinian Islamist Movement, Hamas, Eyes Malaysia As Operations Base
jokowi ketemu Elon itu bukan prestasi yg perlu kalian cemburui sampai memfitnah kami akan normalisasi hubungan dengan Israel. Oh iya setelah lawatan dari Amerika Jokowi juga bertemu dengan Presiden Palestina loh gak bacot doang kayak si Sabri
— PersonifikasiDaring (@tghSigarantang) May 17, 2022
Working Hard
Despite not meeting up with Musk, Ismail Sabri described his four-day working visit to the United States as a success.
During the working visit, the prime minister attended ASEAN-US Special Summit and meet the US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other leaders of ASEAN countries.
He said his visit further strengthened Malaysia-US relations, as well as ASEAN-US.
The US is the second largest trading partner, and the fourth largest in terms of investment in Malaysia.
He said his meetings with US leaders and the country’s industry leaders had further enhanced the relationship.
Ismail Sabri said he also met with American investors and industry leaders, with excellent investment potential for Malaysia in the future.
Alhamdulillah selamat sampai ke tanah air 🇲🇾
— Ismail Sabri (@IsmailSabri60) May 15, 2022
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
Meanwhile, his supporters said those who criticise the prime minister are jealous of his popularity.
They said the warm welcome for Ismail Sabri on his return is proof that he is popular and much respected by Malaysians.
Pembangkang dan macai balaci totot khadam mereka sangat cemburu dgn populariti PM Ismail Sabri Yakub disambut beribu rakyat bila pulang dari Amerika https://t.co/DTMQD60VWD
— Ghazali Resab@gmill (@GhazaliResab) May 15, 2022
Easier Said Than Done
Although Malaysia is trying to attract EV investors from developed countries such as the US, the rate of EV consumption is still low here.
Most of the electric vehicles being sold are beyond the reach of ordinary buyers, and the situation is similar in most ASEAN markets.
In Malaysia, the government is supporting the shift to electric vehicles with tax exemptions but EVs are currently not seen as affordable for the average M40 household.
Recently, Proton Edar announced it will distribute electric vehicles by the Smart automobile company.
smart #1 in Malaysia 🇲🇾 – Proton Edar to launch premium EV SUV in 2023, CBU only for now, sub-RM150k price? – https://t.co/ykU2vfjS0y https://t.co/wE44W1gmF8
— AHH 2 (@AHH0880_2) May 17, 2022
According to Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC) president, Datuk Shahrol Halmi, there are about 500 EVs on the road today, with more people intending to buy one for several reasons.
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