'Friends', job offers vanished once dad was not PM anymore, says artiste Dafi

Local actor and singer Dafi has claimed that many of his “friends” started to disappear after his father, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was no longer the Prime Minister.

PETALING JAYA: Local actor and singer Dafi has claimed that many of his “friends” started to disappear after his father, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was no longer the Prime Minister.

Dafi, whose real name is Gaddafi Ismail Sabri, 35, however said he had already expected such a thing to happen.

“When my father was Prime Minister, many sent me direct messages to the extent that I had to spend as long as 5pm to 9am the next day to reply to them.

“If I don’t respond, I’d be labeled as sombong (arrogant). What more if they approach me politely, so I obliged them.

“I’ve already expected that when my father is no longer the Prime Minister, they would all disappear just like that,” he told mStar.

Recalling when Ismail Sabri was announced as Malaysia’s ninth Prime Minister in August 2021, Dafi said several contacts who had not communicated with him in years suddenly reached out to him.

The most disappointing matter for Dafi was that some were bold enough to send him their proposal plans, in hopes that he would help them.

“I am merely sharing my experience about this. I’m not hurt or offended because I do have people in my life who are with me through thick and thin.

“So for those who come and go, I don’t really care too much,” he expressed.

Not only did Dafi claim that he lost these "friends", but Dafi also said the job offers extended to him also did not materialise without any specific reason.

“I still have some job offers but some of those that were agreed upon were simply canceled,” he claimed.

Dafi however stressed that he has never taken advantage of his father’s position when the latter was helming the government.