ACTRESS-PRODUCER Michelle Yeoh has come under attack on social media for her role in producing an upcoming Hollywood movie based on the book, Billion Dollar Whale.

Netizens said she was not fit to produce a film on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal as she had previously supported former prime minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional.

“Michelle Yeoh wants to produce Billion Dollar Whale. Previously a loyal supporter of @NajibRazak,” said bawangst.

Photojournalist Amirul Ruslan, meanwhile, slammed the move as ironic.

“There is honestly no more perverse irony on this planet than discovering Michelle Yeoh is going to be the one producing #BillionDollarWhale the movie,” he posted on Twitter.

Founder of the Centre to Combat Cronyism and Corruption (C4) Cynthia Gabriel also criticised Yeoh.

“Cheap opportunists like this should have no place in the new Malaysia!! Mana ada integrity? Before regime change she was all over Najib and co… ,” she wrote on Twitter.

Actor and writer Kee Thuan Chye also took Yeoh to task for her involvement in the movie.

“Now we know Michelle Yeoh’s true colours!… She used to be a strong supporter of Najib. Looks like she now wants to get into the good books of the new Malaysian government that she supported Najib against,” he said on Facebook.

“She wants to win back the hearts of Malaysians and get applauded for doing this project.

“Shame on her. Don’t let her get away with her hypocrisy. Let’s boycott the movie when it’s released,” he added.

In 2013, Yeoh defended her decision to openly support Najib, saying everyone was free to voice their opinions in Malaysia.

Her remarks came after she was criticised by netizens then for expressing support for Najib at a gathering organised by the Federation of Chinese Descendents of Selangor.

“We have a leader here who has done so many good things and will do more.

“I hope from the bottom of my heart that he will remain prime minister and I ask all of you to give him a strong mandate,” she had said then.

Crazy Rich Asians producer Ivanhoe Pictures has acquired the film rights to Billion Dollar Whale, which details the massive scandal surrounding 1MDB and Najib’s role in it.

Screen Daily reported that the first-look deal includes producing, directing and choosing acting opportunities for Yeoh, in partnership with SK Global and her company, Mythical Films.

Billion Dollar Whale, authored by Wall Street Journal reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, delves into the dealings of Penang-born businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, who is at the heart of the 1MDB scandal. – September 28, 2018.