KJ sharpens his acting chops in youth training PSA

PETALING JAYA: First he was a taxi driver, then he was an Alam Flora waste management worker and now, he is a waiter at a “mamak” restaurant.

He is a part-time actor, it would seem, but you might better recognise him as Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Wearing a dark blue polo and a yellow apron, Khairy is seen taking and delivering orders, and cleaning tables in his latest acting role.

In typical “mamak waiter” slang, he even calls customers “boss”, as part of a video on Barisan Nasional’s youth manifesto.

Khairy had previously starred as a taxi driver in Meter, directed by Benji Lim and Bahir Yeusuff for another short film project, 15Malaysia, in 2009.

He also played the role of Ahmad Khairy Jamal Udeen Chowdhury from Chittagong, Bangladesh, a Alam Flora waste management worker, to raise awareness on waste separation in a 2016 video.

The 59-second Barisan video features two former schoolmates who bump into each other at the mamak shop after 15 years.

After exchanging pleasantries, the male lead says that he has been working as a technician for 15 years.

The female lead tells him that he can increase his income by learning new skills such as coding, web design and e-commerce.

She suggests that he takes up a class to help him get a promotion or to enable him to do freelance work to increase his income.

In a Facebook post, Khairy – reprising his real-life role of caretaker minister – said that the manifesto touches on salary market configuration, fair works commission, incentives to learn new skills online, and free software for work use.

“Although we have achieved a lot over the past five years, the public is still concerned over the existing pay level,” he said.

“I’ve heard you loud and clear. That is why raising the salary amount will be a priority for Barisan Nasional if we are given the mandate to form the government,” he added.

Khairy's youth manifesto was launched earlier this month and touches on employment opportunities and skills training; increasing income and improving skills; economic empower for youth in rural areas; aiding youth entrepreneurs; easing the burdens of young families; improving the quality of life; ensuring opportunities for the whole youth segment; and ensuring that youths continue to play an important role for the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) programme.

This is the first time Barisan has drawn up a manifesto just for youths.