Local singer Gaddafi Ismail Sabri, better known as Dafi, speaks up about many people distancing themselves from him after his father, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, no longer holds the position of Malaysia’s Prime Minister.
Speaking to mStar, the 35-year-old said he expected this to happen since he realised most of them had only approached him for specific purposes.
“When my father was the Prime Minister, many people sent me messages until I had to spend time from 5 pm until 9 am the next day replying to DMs.
If I didn’t reply, they would say that I was arrogant. Moreover, even if some people came impolitely, I would still need to deal with them.”
“I expected this to happen. When my father is no longer the Prime Minister, everyone disappeared,” he said.
Major Throwback
Recalling the moments when Ismail Sabri was announced as the 9th Prime Minister in August 2021, Dafi said that some of them who had not contacted him for years suddenly asked about his well-being.
What disappointed Dafi the most was that some people shamelessly sent him work proposals, hoping he could help them.
“Some sent proposals, even those I have not heard from in years. I am sharing this just for the sake of sharing.
I am not upset because I have people who are always there for me in difficult situations. So, I don’t care about those who come and go,” he said.
Disappearing Job Offers
Not only did he lose his friends, but job offers that were given to him disappeared without any specific reason.
However, Dafi did not want to overthink it as he believed it was not meant for him.
“Job offers still exist, but some were agreed upon and cancelled suddenly. They told me it was not happening, even though they were eager to offer it.
I don’t want to question it too much because I think it’s not my destiny,” he explained.
No Special Treatment
Meanwhile, Dafi emphasises never taking advantage of his father’s position.
He never interfered in his father’s political affairs out of respect for his fans, who may have different views.
“People often say that I am lucky to be the son of the Prime Minister. Not to brag, but if I used my father’s position, my position might be lower than that of Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza.
But my father is not that kind of person. He started from the bottom, so he knows that the satisfaction comes when everything is achieved through hard work.”
“We siblings don’t receive any special treatment,” he said.
Dafi even shared that he had to break his savings to survive without singing or acting offers.
“They don’t know the actual situation. When I had no offers, I once broke my coin savings to take to the bank and exchanged them for money to spend until the end of the month.
My father did not give me money, and I am not the type to ask for it. It is embarrassing when I am already grown up but still rely on my parents,” he said.
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Cover image via Dafi’s Official Facebook
