Cartoonist Zunar has joined the chorus of condemnation against Malaysian-born actress Michelle Yeoh for her involvement in a movie to be made about the 1MDB scandal.
Zunar in a statement today said Yeoh’s lack of principles was appalling and far worse than loyalists of former premier Najib Razak such as artiste Elly Suriati.
Yeoh’s involvement in the production of a movie based on the book Billion Dollar Whale, he said, has exposed the actress as one who “supports a friend when he is in power, and steps on him when he has fallen.
“Before the 13th general election…Yeoh openly urged the people to give their support to then prime minister Najib.
“She said this in Klang, at a time when Najib was still in power.
“Now that he has lost (the election), Yeoh announces she will come out with a film that exposes the 1MDB scandal, a scandal that is linked to Najib’s acts of corruption.
“In just a few months, the glitter of power and money can change everything, Michelle?” he said of the Ipoh-born actress of international fame.
Yeoh has drawn flak for cashing in on the book by two Wall Street Journal (WSJ) journalists, Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, published this month.
On Friday, anti-corruption watchdog C4’s executive director Cynthia Gabriel called Yeoh a “cheap opportunist” for cashing in on the scandal that has angered Malaysians since the scandal first broke in 2015.
The same day, 1MDB whistleblower Sarawak Report also criticised the move, and New Straits Times reported a number of people including Pakatan Harapan politicians making fun of Yeoh on social media.
Elly ‘1,000 times better’
Before the fall of the BN regime, the actress had irked Malaysians for openly showing support for the Umno-led government.
Compared to the actress, Zunar said Elly was more deserving of his respect for standing by her loyalty for Najib, who has been brought to court to face numerous charges of corruption and abuse linked to 1MDB.
“I do not agree with Elly for supporting Najib, but at the very least, she shows loyalty and solidarity whether one is on the up or down.
“As for Yeoh, you may be famous in Hollywood and can amass a lot of money. In Malaysia, we value your character, not your wealth or popularity.
“This country cannot progress if it produces more people who have principles like Yeoh,” he said, adding Elly has shown “1,000 times better quality” than the ‘tan sri’ Yeoh.
Elly has been vocal in supporting the former ruling party and has continued to be critical of the Pakatan Harapan government as recently as last week when she attended a rally urging for MACC to act against prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. – Malaysiakini