Chef Wan sets ‘gold standard’ for youths compared to Najib, says Kit Siang
(MMO) – Despite growing calls for a boycott, Lim Kit Siang believes Chef Wan is a better role model for Malaysian youths compared to Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The DAP adviser said the cooking show celebrity whose real name is Datuk Redzuanwan Ismail has set a “gold standard”, especially for those from Felda settlements, in becoming “world champions”.
“Che Wan will be quite a gold standard for the Felda youths and the new generation of Malaysians to emulate, unlike Najib.
“Coming from a big family of seven siblings, Chef Wan always enjoyed food and he followed his dream and passion in cooking, giving up his profession as an accountant and became an international household name as a celebrity chef,” Lim said in a statement today, defending the star of numerous international cooking shows.
He compared the chef to former prime minister Najib whose leadership has been tainted by multiple financial scandals, notably the theft of sovereign investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Felda subsidiaries.
Lim also reiterated his allegation that Najib had failed to bring economic progress to the Felda settlers and Orang Asli community who form a sizeable 22 per cent of voters in Cameron Highlands where a by-election has been called.
The Iskandar Puteri MP commended Redzuawan for helping the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition campaign in the upcoming Pahang parliamentary poll while on the Sungai Koyan Felda settlement, contrasting it to the “glittering but artificially-staged” visit by Najib and PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang in support of the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate.
Redzuawan has been the target of a boycott call after expressing a strong feeling to “slap” Najib for claiming Cameron Highlands locals enjoyed a “golden age” when BN was the federal government.
The chef’s reported remarks resulted in some calling for a boycott of his products on Astro’s 24-hour online shopping platform Go Shop’s Facebook page.
Lim claimed Redzuawan’s caustic remarks of wanting to slap Najib was reflective of what was in the heart of many Malays.
The veteran DAP lawmaker reiterated that Najib had betrayed the Orang Asli and Felda during his administration with his “kleptocratic premiership”.
“Felda’s ‘Golden Age’ was during Tun Razak’s short tenure as Prime Minister and those of subsequent Prime Ministers, but Najib betrayed Felda’s vision and interests of the first, second and third generation of Felda settlers,” Lim said.
Cameron Highlands heads to the polls this Saturday. The PH candidate is DAP lawyer M. Manogaran, who will face BN’s Ramli Mohd Nor, a local from the Semai tribe as well as independents Wong Seng Yee and Sallehudin Ab Talib.
