TONY Fernandes’ move to stump for Najib Razak in the 14th general election has been slammed by social media users.

The popular AirAsia chief backed the Barisan Nasional chairman in a YouTube video, but he may have overestimated his standing and underestimated the mood for change in the country.

Social media users have questioned his motives in calling on voters to ignore criminal investigations linked to the caretaker prime minister.

“U know what, Tony, u are an insult. U have failed to feel the pulse of a nation in distress mode,” said Facebook user Guna Rethinasamy.

“U still have the audacity to tell us how we should vote.

“Respect is a two-way street, Tony. U get a big zero for that. Henceforth, I will always look at u from a different perspective. Lastly, Tony… Cash Is Not Always King.”

“I lost my respect for this guy from the moment he started to praise Najib. You complain about many issues pertaining to your business, but when it comes to the people’s issues and problems, you hide behind Kak Ros’ (Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor) baju kurung. To hell with you lah,” said Saravanan Supramaniam.

Some users said Fernandes’ decision to openly support a government riddled with scandals may result in the low-cost carrier losing customers.

“As a businessman, you should not openly support any political party (if you want) to stay relevant in the market,” said Manmohan Singh.

“Shame on you, Tony, for jumping into the political arena. When you can’t see what is happening to our country, perhaps, it is about time the rakyat reconsider supporting AirAsia,” said Herbert Lai.

“Stupid idiot. Credit should go to the rakyat who have to fly AirAsia not out of choice, but due to the cheaper fare. If there is another company that offers a better deal, AirAsia would collapse right away,” said Jackal Way.

In the video, Fernandes said the Najib administration “puts the people first”, and has helped his company to grow.

“I always used to say to the government and the prime minister: put the people first, then, the decision becomes easy.

“AirAsia has gone from two planes to 230 planes. From 200,000 passengers, this year, we carried 89 million passengers.

“I believe the prime minister puts the people first, and allowed AirAsia to grow despite opposition from all over the place.”

He also called on Malaysians not to vote based on hearsay, but on facts.

“So, you know, don’t listen to the press, there is a lot of fake news. A lot of fake news about me most of the time, as well.”

AirAsia, established in 1993, began operations on November 18, 1996. It was founded by government-owned conglomerate DRB-HICOM.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003. – May 7, 2018.