Jogging abroad with entourage: Is PMX promoting healthy lifestyle or merely PR propaganda?

Focus Malaysia

4 days ago

NEVER one to miss a public relations (PR) opportunity, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a slick operator when it comes to his carefully curated persona.
Be it the reading of tomes by celebrated authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez or grandstanding on the Israel-Hamas conflict, it is all calculated to create a cult of personality.
Nothing wrong with that as it as a well-worn tactic employed by politicians through the ages the world over.
However, some seem to have had enough with the perceived PR-overload. One being social activist influencer @astrixliberty who found PMX's social media postings of him having a runaround with fellow Malaysian delegates in the sandy and exotic Copacabana beach to be 'extremely cringey'.
For the uninitiated, PMX was not on vacation of any sort but was attending the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [in fact, he had just touched down at the KLIA at 2.05am today (July 9) after a week-long official tour of three nations which also included Italy and France].
That similar images are posted on each of PMX's trips abroad are simply overkill, @astrixliberty insinuated on X.
Does no one tell @anwaribrahim that posting photos of himself jogging with his entourage every time he's overseas is extremely cringey? https://t.co/pHfJ5BbK8n
— 👾 (@astrixliberty) July 6, 2025
Editor's Note: Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz had earlier incurred the wrath of Malaysians for his 'costly' 'jog around the White House' after Malaysia was slapped with an additional 1% in reciprocal tariff by the Trump administration yesterday (July 8).
This being about Malaysia's top politician meant that many comments were made with party lines clearly drawn.
Some saw nothing wrong with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman's social media posts. One pointedly remarked that the only the walaun (slang for diehard PAS loyalists) would find it 'cringey'.
Some seemingly pro-PH commenters seem to be wondering what was the point of highlighting this. Was this just a weak ploy to further discredit PMX and by extension the tenure of the Madani administration?
The septuagenarian's attempt at promoting healthy lifestyle was applauded by one commenter. He further argued that to PAS supporters and the anti-Anwar brigade, everything he does would invite negative comments.
Another was fascinated over the fact he had never seen incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak 'sweating it out' during his tenure, henceforth could he be said to be not promoting a healthy lifestyle?
That sentiment was echoed by another commenter who emphasised that not everyone shared the poster's perspective.
One commenter highlighted that this is akin to politicians from the previous administration enjoying a round of golf during the COVID-19 lockdown.
On the flipside, there were comments that reflect growing dissatisfaction with the Madani government's rule.
One commenter sarcastically remarked that this was how PMX who doubles up as the Finance Minister aims to attract billions of investment dollars to Malaysia.
Some suggested that the photo opportunity was staged as such 'group jogs usually only lasted five seconds'.
Another hinted that such propaganda was almost North Korean in tone and style with its incessant praising and deifying of its Supreme Leader.
To be fair, it is social media and PMX is free to leverage it to stay in the public eye. This approach is certainly preferable to those images been plastered on huge billboards and banners at public expense, something which he has promised to do away with.
However, there is always the danger of overkill with the public getting fed-up with the sight and sound of PMX especially with the current state of mounting trust deficit towards him and his Madani machinery.
This must be handled carefully given rising public dissatisfaction over the expanded implementation of the Sales and Services Tax (SST) which came into effect this month.
Self-serving or not, this was uncontroversial and surely there are more concrete issues to attack PMX with. As one commenter succinctly advised the poster, exercise your God-given free will and simply ignore it. – July 9, 2025
Main image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook