From McKangkung to World Kangkung Day

K Pragalath| January 14, 2014
Free Malaysia Today

Netizens make fun of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s endorsement for water spinach.

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s endorsement for the fall in the prices of water spinach (kangkung) continues to prompt Malaysian netizens to join the fray to “support” the premier’s endorsement.

A page called Hari Kangkung Sedunia has been created on social networking website, Facebook while Jan 13 is now officially declared World Kangkung Day.

Among others the page speculated that major fast food outlets would have to rebrand some of the popuar selling products, citing as examples Kangkung Fried Chicken, Burger Kangkung and McKangkung.

The endorsement for kangkung have gone viral via a 1:24 minute on YouTube. The video with 44,235 hits is a result of combining two video clips.

The first part depicted Najib delivering an official speech. The second part is where he speaks of kangkung.

“Today I read in the newspaper that the prices of some things that have dropped. The price of kangkung increased before this and now it has gone down.

“When this happens, they don’t want to praise the government. But when it rises, they blame the government… This is not fair as it is due to weather conditions,” Najib was quoted as saying in the video which was posted on Jan 12.

Online mocking

Among the many criticisms levelled at Najib included one from this Twitter user, @rb_poetry who mocked Najib: “Kangkung brains. Najib’s makes fun of kangkung prices and it becomes national comedy.”

On Facebook, Facebook user Arlene Tan even wrote a pantun as the “kangkung” made waves among Malaysians on cyberspace.

Tan wrote:

Lenggang kangkung mencari Rosmah,

Sambil bersyukur kangkung murah

Harga naik, takde Bajet beli rumah,

Tapi takpe, setahunya kangkung ku jamah

Even Urban, Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan took the jokes in a good stride.

In a Twitter message to PKR vice president Nurul. Izzah Anwar, he said:

“@mpkotabelud: @n_izzah Ok2.. Enjoy the kangkung joke while it lasts. Don’t type #kangkang, like my friend typed. It spoils the punch line.”