Vida denies labelling those who raised white flag as lazy

Compiled by C. ARUNO, MARTIN CARVALHO and R. ARAVINTHAN

COSMETICS tycoon Datuk Seri Vida (pic) has denied labelling Malaysians who hoist the white flag to signal distress as lazy, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Vida, whose real name is Hasmiza Othman, was commenting on the #BenderaPutih movement, and said she was merely voicing her views against those who criticise the government and those who gave up easily to ask for handouts.

“They say I am clever to sit and talk but don’t help, and so want me to help the whole of Malaysia?

“Hundreds of millions won’t be enough.

“Be of clean heart. I never said don’t hoist the white flag,” she responded to the daily via Whatsapp after netizens criticised her TikTok video post on Monday.

Vida said those who want to hoist the white flag for help can do so.

“If need to, do it. Help will come sooner or later.

“But for those who are able, don’t easily surrender,” she said, adding that she never intended to belittle anyone, but was merely exhorting people to try to put in more effort first.

“You have to swallow the bitter pill and move on,” the Qu Puteh founder added.

> Despite tight security at the MAEPS Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centre in Serdang, a 33-year-old man was arrested for trying to smuggle in ketum juice (an opioid) and cigarettes for a patient, Harian Metro reported.

Sepang OCPD Asst Comm Wan Kamarul Azran Wan Yusof said the man, who was a former patient at the centre, was detained last Sunday for attempting to bring the items for another patient.

He said the man was spotted by police manning the guard post throwing the items over the barbed-wire fence at the centre and was later questioned.

“The suspect’s ruse unravelled after a TNB staff who was at the location said the suspect threw in a black plastic, claiming it to be filled with apples,” ACP Wan Kamarul said.

Following a search, he said police discovered 10 cartons of cigarettes and a plastic bottle filled with liquid believed to be made from the ketum plant (Mitragyna speciosa).

He said the suspect was remanded and would be probed under the Penal Code for trespassing and another offence under the Poisons Act.

Recently, a family member was also caught for trying to smuggle in cigarettes in a packet of food for a patient at the centre.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.