Not a tweet typical of the singer, it caught the attention of netizens, earning both brickbats and bouquets.
In a post on Twitter yesterday, popular songstress Sheila Majid lamented the high cost of living, the weak ringgit, scarcity of jobs and punishing debts.
“Food is expensive, ringgit is weak, cost of living is high & jobs are scarce.
“Msians are becoming tired & angry for being squeezed over debts we did not create.
“Stop making excuses & looking for faults. Focus on the job of getting our country back on track! Disappointing!” she tweeted.
Her post was re-tweeted more than 10,000 times and received more than 6,000 likes as well as over 250 comments by late evening.
While some comments supported her views, others attacked her lifestyle, saying that she had nothing to complain about and suggesting that she would not understand the hardships caused by the woes she highlighted.
There were also those who rudely told her to stick to what she was good at – singing.
Sheila, who is known for hits like ‘Sinaran’ is not the only artiste who has spoken out on social media about prevailing issues in the country.
Recently, actress Fathia Latiff questioned why investigations were only now being carried out on the Bank Negara Malaysia forex losses which occurred in the 1990s.
She also tweeted that investigations should be carried out on the money deposited into the private accounts of “certain individuals”.
Her tweets earned a reminder from the prime minister’s aide, Rizal Mansor, who reminded artistes not to become the opposition’s tools.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, however, thanked Fathia for “defending” him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XpBNEmBA8
He also heaped praises on Sheila and other celebrities for speaking out about the state of the country.
Retweeting her comment on Twitter, Mahathir said: “One by one, Malaysian icons speak up for the future of the country.
“From Fathia Latiff, Aznil Nawawi and now Sheila Majid.
“The youths, in particular, must have the courage to step up. The future is in your hands. If not us, who else?” he said, using his Twitter handle @chedetofficial.