In a recent TikTok video, caretaker Senior Defence Minister Dato’ Sri Hishammuddin bin Hussein can be seen eating fried chicken by himself while alone in a KFC restaurant.
With the title “A minister with the heart of the rakyat, very friendly and approachable, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein” user @hafiznurruddin17 posted the video on social media. It has received over 1.8 million views, 132,700 likes, and more than 8,000 comments.
The video itself appears to be very innocent as it merely shows Hishammuddin, the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembrong, having a delicious dinner at KFC. Going to the comments area, however, will help you understand why such a straightforward film has become so popular and even sparked argumentative Malaysians.
You can watch the whole video below or on TikTok:
@hafiznurruddin17 Menteri berjiwa rakyat,,sgt mesra dan mudah didekati,,Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Hussein #fypシ #menteripertahanan #menteriberjiwarakyat #fypdongggggggg ♬ bunyi asal – asran keyboard
The commentary that the original poster wrote, which many believed was “trying too hard” and unnecessarily complimented the caretaker Senior Minister to the point that many viewers assumed that the entire video was staged, is one of the reasons why the video went viral. Even more so in light of the recent dissolution of Parliament and the impending 15th General Election.
The majority of the top comments expressed a similar opinion, claiming that the “humbleness” displayed in the video is nothing more than a rare phenomenon that only occurs once every five years or when election season is approaching.
The top comment read, “This is rare, only once every 5 years. Only appears when it’s time to vote.”
Meanwhile, another top comment gave a backhanded compliment to Hishammuddin, saying, “YB Hishammuddin is the best. He has the heart of the people. Hopefully, Barisan Nasional (BN) will lose emphatically in GE15”.
Not all online users, however, had such a harsh opinion of the video; rather, many of them attested to how rakyat-focused the current Sembrong MP is in real life and praised him for his modesty. One commenter wrote, “For me, this Minister is without a doubt a good individual, his humbleness and hard-working nature is not just a show. He rarely has any cases or scandals either.”.
Another online user agreed, saying that Hishammuddin has always been thus modest; but, until today, nothing had ever gone viral. Another Malaysian, however, claimed that the caretaker Senior Minister always went up to people and introduced himself whenever he was out and about, and that he wasn’t just pleasant during election times.
What do you think of the viral video? Comment below with your ideas for us!
