KUALA LUMPUR: Local celebrities are free to comment on the country’s current affairs but they must be prepared to be criticised, just like anyone else, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said today.
In a Twitter thread on his official social media page, Rahman who is the minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) also invited Datuk Sheila Majid and other celebrities to the unit for a briefing session on the nation’s current state of economy.
“Maybe Persatuan Seniman can organise the visit and I will be delighted to be the host,” he posted on his Twitter account today.
Recently, Sheila Majid came into the limelight with her critical comments towards the country’s economic state and cost of living.
“It’s not wrong for celebrities to comment about our current affairs. But just like everyone else, be prepared to be criticised. Politics ain’t a one-way street.
“After all, in other countries, celebrities, comedians and even porn stars have a say about issues affecting their nations. Some even decided to become full time politicians,” he said.
However, he said those celebrities have a track record of being involved in issues that they were passionate about compared to the local ones who “tweeted once or twice" and expect people to understand their motives.
Rahman, who claimed to be a big fan of Sheila Majid, said he could listen to her or anyone with an honest views on things or issues.
“But I do hope she can engage her critics and articulate further the reasons why she said what she had said.
“Apart from that, many of our celebrities went through trauma of being criticised harshly by netizens and the opposition for a simple and honest photo taken with the PM. Welcome to Malaysian politics!,” he added.
At the same time, he also invited the public to visit the Expo Negaraku organised by the EPU, currently held in Dataran Merdeka to understand more on the things the government had done to make Malaysia a better place; which includes policies to make the cost of living much bearable.
Meanwhile, Sheila Majid's personal assistant had confirmed to the New Straits Times that the songstress would not be making any further comment on the matter.