KUALA LUMPUR – DAP’s Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim’s lighthearted banter with an elderly lady in his constituency recently has caused amusement among netizens.
In a short video clip posted on his Twitter account yesterday, Sim, who is also deputy finance minister, shared how one of his constituents was looking for more than just a pair of spectacles as she also cheekily requested for a husband.
The cheery conversation between Sim and the elderly woman, known as Mak Anjang, seemingly took place at her residence during his visit to check in on residents in his constituency.
In the video, Mak Anjang said she would prefer a “young husband”, jokingly implying that it would be “too troublesome” to care for an older partner.
In response, Sim said in jest that alongside RM500 for a new pair of spectacles, he would later bring a man for Mak Anjang.
Over in the comments section of the post, Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman’s aide Noor Suhana Ishak playfully said if she had known Sim was a “matchmaking agent,” she would have asked for his “help”, supposedly to find her a partner as well.
Other users also expressed their bemusement over the exchange, with some quipping that maybe Man Anjang is trying her chances with “kind hearted and funny” Sim while others revelled in how the conversation was carried out in Bahasa Malaysia, showcasing the national language.
Meanwhile, in another instance of citizens casting their nets for love, one individual suggested to Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli the formation of a matchmaking centre in his constituency to bring together widows and widowers.
The proposal was made by a man at the Pandan people’s service centre mobile counter, which Rafizi, who is also economic minister, manned last Saturday.
“I have found that in your constituency, there are many widows and widowers, YB,” the man said, to which a seemingly puzzled Rafizi said that he would look into the matter while also presenting his own set of questions on how the initiative would work.
“I didn’t know there were a lot of widows and widowers here. How will the matchmaking centre operate? Is it an activity centre for them? How would we match them?” he queried with a smile.
A video of the exchange was uploaded to Twitter by user @StratcommPMX, which presents itself as a “pro-bono strategic communication” platform for the government.
In the comments section, user @LBercerminMata said that while the proposal sounds “funny,” it would be good if Pandan becomes the first parliamentary constituency to implement the initiative as it is a “noble aim” to find matches for widows and widowers.
Meanwhile, user @buynselljpeg recommended that a matchmaking website or app can be developed where divorced or widowed individuals can find potential partners, with strict identification verification steps in place. – September 11, 2023
