Khairy’s Joke On HotFM Not Sitting Well With Some: Bold Humour Or Disrespect?
Radio station Hot FM is facing a social media storm after its deejay Khairy Jamaluddin allegedly mocked Malaysia’s Prime Minister.
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Hot FM, a popular radio station in Malaysia, recently found itself in the spotlight after its deejays made jokes and mocked Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (PMX) alongside Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ), a well-known political figure.
This incident stirred up a significant amount of controversy, sparking debates about whether such humor should be accepted in Malaysian culture, especially when directed at political leaders.
Dengarnya HotFM dah delete.
— JOKER🔺️ (@tjerealjoker) September 9, 2024
Lahai.. kenapa delete?
Masa gelak tak rasa biadab ke?
Lepas puas gelak, terasa menyesal?
Kerja kantoi delete ni level PAS jer.
Tiada permohonan maaf?
KJ memang ular xleh move on.
Tapi Johan dgn FaFa.
Gudlak 🤦
pic.twitter.com/yNLQwc9sP1
So what did Khairy say?
As many are now aware, Khairy’s political career took a hit when he lost the battle for the Sungai Buloh seat during the last general election.
Later on, he was sacked from Umno. He has remained party-less ever since and has for the most part stayed away from politics, acting only as an observer and commentator through his Tunggu Sekejap podcast.
He also accepted a job offer from Hot FM as a deejay for their morning show Bekpes Hot.
With the annual Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH) coming up, it was announced that Khairy made it to the top 10 of the Most Popular Radio Deejay category.
In reacting to this on the show, Khairy joked: “Hari ni saya menangggg, esokkk… kita makan ramai-ramai!” (Today I win, tomorrow we dine!)
While no names were mentioned, many saw this as Khairy mocking Anwar’s old speech: “Hari ini menang, esok harga minyak turun.”
Historically, it’s uncommon for Malaysian media, including TV and radio stations, to openly mock the Prime Minister.
However, with this recent act from Hot FM, Malaysians are faced with a critical question: Should this kind of behavior be normalized, or should it be condemned?
While some Malaysians might see this as a healthy step toward free speech, others view it as disrespectful and unnecessary, especially in a professional setting like a national radio station.
A Divided Reaction on Twitter
Malaysians on social media, particularly on Twitter, were quick to share their opinions.
The reactions were largely divided, with some supporting the joke, while others believed it crossed the line.
Supporters of the Joke:
Some users defended the station stating that people were getting too triggered by the joke, indicating that it might not be as serious as it’s being made out to be.
Dah kenapa? Oke je lawak dia ni aku dgr ntah2 pmx dgr pon tak ambil hati korg je yg triggered lebih haha
— Syahmi Arizal (@syahmiarzl) September 9, 2024
Laaaa…. Ni bukan lawak sedaghe2. Fitnah pun bukan. Ni realiti ucapan sebenar. Tagline ni berpuluh tahun didendangkan. Syahduu je dengar dulu2. Takkanla KJ pinjam sekejap pun koyak. Dia hanya ULAM je tagline tu..
— hk (@hkmfiftyfour) September 9, 2024
Mmg elok pun jadi bahan.
— Tu-Face (@ElCapitano126) September 9, 2024
Org bodo je yg dok defend lagi benda ni.
Kena kencing tp indenial.
La benda mcm ni pn nk triggered ka. Apa bodoh la penyagak PH ni.slp2 PMX sendiri releks ja.
— Hidet (@Hidet10) September 9, 2024
Critics of the Joke:
However for some tweets, some users expressed strong disapproval of Hot FM’s decision to hire certain individuals, indicating that such behavior could damage the station’s ratings.
memang silap besar ambil dia masuk HotFm. Tukang cuci TAIK dia org HotFm. Kami mohon dia minta maaf kat PM DSAI. Berani ke tidak. Lepas ni rating korang mesti jatuh kerana ular ni.
— Mohamad Yusof Bin Yahya (@MohamadYusofBi6) September 9, 2024
Makin menyampah dgn @hotfm976 @REALFAFAU acah terpaling palestine, tp pemimpin negara sendiri korang hina n kutuk!
— MZ (@zackzackh123) September 9, 2024
Umur dah tua dah rata2 3orang tu, bingai macam budak2
— iceman ❄️ (@Tomiceman88) September 9, 2024
Ular tu dia perangai mcm Mahathir la.
— Asri-nomic (bukan Syahir-nomic) (@AsriNomic) September 9, 2024
Lidah bercabang + parasit
Elok lah, hotfm pon sendu..biar melingkup sekali.
Reflection on Cultural Norms
Another tweet from @nazribiztalk questioned is this really a Malaysian culture.
Hot FM dilihat memperli dan troll Perdana Menteri Malaysia secara terbuka bersama KJ. Ini adalah suatu budaya yang agak baru kalau diterima.
— Nazrihamdan (@nazribiztalk) September 9, 2024
Seingat saya, jarang mana-mana stesen TV atau radio dilihat perli Perdana Menteri Malaysia.
Sekarang ni rakyat Malaysia kena buat…
Based on the Tweet, Malaysians need to decide whether they want to accept and embrace a culture where political figures, including the Prime Minister, are mocked in mainstream media?
If it is deemed inappropriate, then KJ (who represented the radio station at the time), the deejays, and the management of the station should be criticized.
However, if it’s seen as acceptable, be prepared for this to become normalized in the future.
In light of this, Hot FM and its deejays might face consequences if the public outcry intensifies.
The choice now lies with Malaysians whether this incident will be remembered as a turning point for free expression in media or a boundary that should not be crossed.
As for KJ, who played a part in this scenario, he had previously admitted to making mistakes, such as when he issued controversial statements during the pandemic as Health Minister.
Will he acknowledge his missteps once again as a radio deejay, or will the public decide to let this slide?
Only time will tell.
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