Over the past two years, more and more Malaysians are beginning to feel the inevitable pinch of a worldwide economic downturn brought about by two years worth of protracted lockdowns due to COVID-19. And this is only further exacerbated by the rising cost of goods and services, what with increasingly limited supply attributed to logistical challenges and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. In fact, one economist has predicted that goods in Malaysia may jump by as much as 60% in June.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri was seen in a RM5,500 shirt from luxury brand Burberry
Which is why many netizens have since called out Prime Minister Ismail Sabri, after he was recently seen dressed in a shirt that cost an eye-watering RM5,500 while meeting his Singaporean counterpart, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, during his work trip to Japan.
The shirt, which features an abstract pattern comprised of blues, blacks, and whites, is currently being sold through British luxury fashion house Burberry’s menswear line as part of current creative director Ricardo Tisci’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, which explores themes of ‘collective creativity and the freedom to experiment’. Made of pure, 100% cotton, the shirt also features mother-of-pearl buttons and is Made In Italy.
For those with sharp eyes, you will likely have noticed that this is also the very same Burberry shirt seen on Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin during a press video for the show addressed to Malaysian audiences.
Reactions from netizens have been critical
Understandably, the extravagant price of the shirt has since prompted a medley of different reactions from netizens online. Some have pointed out the lack of sensitivity that the Prime Minister had in donning a shirt that costs that much while so many Malaysians continue to live on the brink of poverty.
Others have called him out on his decision to wear a designer shirt from Burberry, instead of taking the opportunity to promote Malaysia’s batik craft by wearing a batik printed shirt instead. This is especially in the wake of the Prime Minister’s recent campaign to promote Bahasa Malaysia as a regional lingua franca.
One even said that controversies regarding luxury labels seem to follow the Prime Minister, in referring to his previous Evian water fiasco.
However, some have also shown support for the Prime Minister’s choice in shirt, and have told netizens to let the man wear what he wants.
It is worth noting that this isn’t the first time that Sabri’s shirts have caught the attention of the public eye, as he was also previously known for wearing different coloured shirts while delivering daily addresses on the COVID-19 situation as Senior Minister (Security Cluster) in 2020. In fact, some have drawn comparisons between his coloured shirts with local desserts.
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