Najib pays the bill for his purchases.
SANDAKAN: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shopped for essentials at the Giant Hypermarket at Mile 6, Bandar Utama (IJM) here, today.
“I want to check the prices of goods,” he was heard saying, as hundreds trailed behind him with smartphones in their hands.
He later paid for his groceries – a pack of rice, a bottle of cooking oil and a box of dates.
Now fondly called “bossku” – a result of a Facebook post that has since become an Internet meme – Najib walked out of the hypermarket, his first stop upon touching down here at around noon, to the screams of hundreds of his fans, chanting “bossku” and “malu apa bossku”, both unofficial catchphrases of the former premier.
Najib later told reporters that he came to Sandakan because he wanted to show that he still cares for the people here.
Najib visits the fish counter at the hypermarket.
When asked if his presence would help boost votes for Parti Bersatu Sabah candidate Datuk Linda Tsen Thau Lin, he responded: “I am not here because I am confident of winning or anything. I just want to show that I still care about the people in Sabah and Sandakan. They have been very close to me.
“When there is an invitation for me to come and support, I want to do my bit.”
He was overwhelmed with the large crowd, adding that it reflects that the people still appreciate the Barisan Nasional’s hard work and contributions here.
Commenting on the P186 Sandakan by-election, Najib said: “I hope it is going to be a fair fight and reflect national policies, how they (the people) feel about it, especially after (Pakatan Harapan’s) one year in power.”
Before leaving, Najib entertained the crowd together with local buskers and sang a few verses of Sabah artist Jimmy Palikat’s song titled ‘Anak Kampung’.