Every Malaysian now would love to get a photo with our national athletes, particularly Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉), who recently returned from Paris after winning his first Olympic medal at the 2024 Olympics. However, local entertainer Nabil Ahmad’s photo with the athlete- or method of getting it – has evoked mixed reactions.
Local radio station Era FM recently shared a video of Nabil at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, waiting for the arrival of our national badminton team following the end of the badminton matches at the Paris Olympics. While the radio host waited for the bronze medal winners to emerge from the arrival gates, he chanced upon Lee Zii Jia’s grandmother, immediately ushering her to the front of the crowd.
Upon Lee Zii Jia, Aaron Chia (谢定峰) and Soh Wooi Yik’s (苏伟译) arrival, Nabil immediately yelled out for the men’s singles player, trying to get him closer to him and his grandmother. In the video, Lee Zii Jia appeared in a daze – but the entertainer took advantage of the moment and quickly asked the 26-year-old for a photo, which he complied. Towards the end of the video, Nabil brazenly voiced his excitement about getting a picture with Lee Zii Jia using his “connection” with the athlete’s grandmother.
On Instagram and TikTok, the video received tons of positive reactions from netizens. Most of the comments were from fans showing amusement towards Nabil’s antics, which he’s no stranger to. Many also joked that the cheeky comedian was cunning for using his “family cable” just to get a photo with Lee Zii Jia amidst the chaos.
However, when a user shared the video on Twitter, it didn’t quite receive the same reaction. On the social media platform, many netizens voiced annoyance towards Nabil, saying it was rude of him to use the athlete’s relative to get close to him. Others noted that Lee Zii Jia could’ve gotten a sweet reunion with his grandmother if the entertainer wasn’t there to meddle and disturb the family for a photo.
It’s unlikely that Nabil or Era FM would respond to the criticism – but it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the media personality has gotten flak from the public. What are your thoughts on the video?
Watch the video below:
