YOUTH and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and the entrepreneur behind a local soft drink traded words on social media today over the cabinet member’s purported failure to promote the HausBoom beverage.

Azri Zahier Azmi, the businessman who launched the HausBoom drinks, wrote on Facebook today that he was frustrated with Syed Saddiq for not fulfilling his promise to help local entrepreneurs promote their products on the minister’s Instagram account.

He said an officer from the Youth and Sports Ministry had contacted him about the minister’s initiative to help local young entrepreneurs by promoting products on his Instagram account.

Azri Zahier said he was told he would have to provide the beverage he produced for a cabinet meeting, along with a profile of his product and company.

He said Syed Saddiq’s 1.7 million Instagram followers were an ideal audience to promote his product, and he agreed as he felt an endorsement from the minister would help HausBoom get into convenience stores and hypermarkets.

Azri Zahier said his company profile was placed on the desk of the cabinet meeting, but was unread, and there was no Instagram post by Syed Saddiq.

“You think I care (that Syed Saddiq didn’t endorse the product)?  I’ll just won’t give my blessing (haramkan) to the drinks that he consumed.”

He said other entrepreneurs who had sent in their wares also complained to him about Syed Saddiq not promoting their products, prompting him to write to the minister in his capacity as  former president of Rural Entrepreneurs’ Association.

Azri Zahier said the minster did not respond, but a senior ministry official replied to apologise. The apology was followed by a picture of Syed Saddiq drinking Azri Zahier’s beverage.

But a long video post on Instragram by Syed Saddiq yesterday endorsing a brand of chocolate cake was what prompted Azri Zahier to voice his anger about the minister.

Azri Zahier said the product was produced by a member of Bersatu Youth’s executive council. It is learnt that the product is called Absolut Chocolat, and is purportedly owned by Bersatu Youth exco member Ben Ali.

“Politicians should not toy with entrepreneurs, we are fighters. We are job creators. We do not need politicians, whatever the flag.

“Syed Saddiq later posted on Facebook that he was disappointed with the entrepreneur.

“A lot of people told me not to respond, as it is just a tactic to promote products, and that is exactly what he wants.”

He said the initiative to promote products on his Instagram and introduce them to the cabinet was sparked when he found that refreshments were routinely provided during meetings, but the provider was not known.

Syed Saddiq said this was an opportunity to promote youth products to the prime minister and other cabinet members.

“I told my team at the ministry to seek out products by youth so that they can be promoted to the cabinet,” he said.

“The picture (of the product at the cabinet meeting) will be shared with the entrepreneur for dissemination. If there is a need, an endorsement letter stating that the product has served at a cabinet meeting can also be provided.”

He said he was told that “a certain young entrepreneur” had trouble introducing his product into 7-Eleven convenience stores.

Syed Saddiq said the product was brought to the cabinet, and he had introduced the wares.

“I will also try to meet Vincent Tan to tell him about this (the difficulty of the product entering 7-Eleven). Discussions were held, the views were sent to the secretary-general on how we can help our local youth entrepreneurs to enter big chains like 7-Eleven.”

He said his intention was to help, and that he did not receive any money for his efforts.

“I met the main proprietor of 7-Eleven, and thanked him after products by our youth were added to their branches, including HausBoom.”

Syed Saddiq said he will pray that Azri Zahier’s product will succeed but he was disappointed with the businessman.

The minster said he has ordered his staff to pay Azri Zahier’s company for the drinks that were sent. – February 5, 2019.