Malaysian YouTuber and brands follow King's lead in supporting reporters

Malaysian YouTuber Isa Bin Batharul Zaman, who goes by the handle "Isa Isarb", has recently made headlines for giving away free money to reporters camping outside Istana Negara. The reporters were on site to cover the political updates on the change in government after Pakatan Harapan lost its majority in Parliament. In a YouTube video posted on 26 February, Isa was seen handing out stacks of RM1 notes to reporters and the public outside the Istana Negara. According to The Star, Isa handed out RM10,000 in a series of RM1 notes.

Isa was subsequently stopped by the police, who informed him that giving out items such as food is acceptable, but it is inappropriate to give out cash, The Star reported. It added that Isa managed to give away between RM600 to RM700 before he was turned away. Isa's YouTube video garnered 223,509 views at the time of writing.

According to The Star, Isa said the money given out was from his personal bank account, and he had intended for reporters to spend it on items such as snacks or drinks. For those who asked about the giveaway, Isa reportedly told them it was "a gift", emphasising that it was not a bribe and that he had no reason for doing so. A+M has reached out to Isa for comments.

Isa's give away came shortly after the Malaysian king recently made a surprise appearance outside Istana Negara to bring lunch to reporters. Multiple media reports including The Star said the King handed out McDonald's and KFC to reporters for lunch and dinner respectively. 

Brands in Malaysia also took the King's lead. Transport and logistics service provider Cleo International offered reporters and photographers boxes of Domino's pizza. In an Instagram post, CEO Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharuddin confirmed she was on site to hand out the slices of pizza.

Meanwhile in a Facebook post on 26 February, employees of Xiaomi Malaysia were seen giving out free power banks with a handwritten note on it which said "You cover the news, we got you covered!" Xiaomi Malaysia also gave out free power banks to media personnel in Putrajaya, encouraging them to stay strong. 

Enchanteur, Dashing, and Carrie Junior- three personal care brands under Wipro Unza- also stepped up to help reporters by offering wet wipes and perfume. The perfume from Enchanteur and Dashing came with a thank-you note, while Carrie Junior gave wet wipes with the note "Keep calm and stay fresh". Wipro's spokesperson confirmed the move to A+M, saying the brands gave out these items in appreciation of the media team's hard work.

According to the spokesperson, Enchanteur gave out 200 pieces of its Petite Parfume, Dashing gave out 200 pieces of its Pocket EDT perfume, and Carrie Junior gave out 50 packs of its wet wipes. The giveaway took place on 27 February in the morning. “Over this period, media and journalists worked tirelessly to keep the rest of country updated on news. We as a company wanted to refresh and make them feel good," Saki Goh, Wipro Unza's marketing manager said.

While brands were focused on aiding reporters and photographers, one brand took a twist on the matter and created a satirical Facebook post instead. In a post uploaded on 28 February, local burger joint myBurgerLab promoted a limited-edition burger for politicians only and wrote: "Everyone has been feeding the media but no one is feeding the politicians." The post revealed made-up ingredients in the burger including "backbone-less beef", "tenderised BS", and "marinated chicken poopcorn", adding that every purchase comes with a "free humble pie". MyBurgerLab added that the country has "bigger issues" to worry about, and urged politicians to "go back to work and do what's right".

In a statement to A+M, Chin Ren Yi, co-founder of myBurgerLab, said the rationale of the post was to show a sense of frustration during this time. He added that although the brand wants to continue its daily business without worrying about the political climate, it is difficult to do so knowing that the choices politicians make will directly and indirectly affect the company. Chin also said it is not taking sides with any parties, but would like to urge politicians to stick to taking care of its people.

MyBurgerLab's post garnered 949 reactions, 120 comments, and 332 shares at the time of writing. A netizen commented that myBurgerLab's marketing move will backfire on the brand, to which the burger joint replied that it is not a marketing plan, but a public service announcement. The burger joint also said it expects the Facebook post to backfire, "but [the content of the post] needs to be said".

(Read also: Malaysia PM Mahathir Mohamad submits resignation, confirms in a tweet)