KUALA LUMPUR — Entrepreneurial Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has hit back at criticism that his publicised welfare work amounts to “poverty porn”, arguing that sharing the stories of struggling Malaysians can inspire compassion and encourage others to help.
Sim said he had faced repeated criticism over his approach to assisting vulnerable families and individuals but maintained that his intention was not to exploit their hardship for political gain.
Speaking in the latest episode of Trick Lama, a podcast co-hosted by Big Boom Media Group chief executive officer Datuk Zainul Arifin, Group Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez and Group Executive Director Datuk “Rocky” Ahiruddin Attan, Sim said he wanted to use his platform to show that ordinary Malaysians could make a difference in the lives of others.
“I wanted to show that all of us, not just MPs, Malaysians can do something to help a fellow Malaysian.
“Number one, I want to show that there is still compassion in this world, in this society. There’s still hope.
“Number two, I want to encourage those who are suffering: don’t worry, don’t give up. There are people around you.”
He said his third objective was to encourage and motivate others to extend help to those in need.
“And number three, I also want to encourage and motivate other people to do the same. So this is what I think my story is about.
“I wanted to really project something positive. Because when you open social media today, anger, cynicism, pessimism, this hopelessness — all the rage bait.”
Sim said he was aware of accusations that his videos and social media posts highlighting welfare cases amounted to “sandiwara” or “poverty porn”, but insisted he would rather see more people publicly demonstrate compassion than allow cynicism to discourage acts of kindness.
“And I can assure you, people will say, ‘It’s all an act. Do it once, it’s an act; do it a hundred times, it’s still an act.’
“But even if it is an act, I hope more people in this world will continue doing it if it means helping others and showing compassion.
“The end justifies the means,” he said.
Sim said even those who questioned the motives behind such acts should consider the positive impact of encouraging people to help one another.
“Even if you accuse me of sandiwara, I said, go ahead.
“Everyone, sandiwara to be good Malaysians. Everyone, sandiwara to love each other. Everyone, sandiwara to show compassion.
“Let’s do it.”
He said repeated acts of compassion, regardless of how they were perceived by critics, could eventually bring about meaningful change in society.
“If everyone is doing this sandiwara every single day of our life, trust me, the needle will move. Something will change in society.”
Sim said the criticism surrounding his welfare work also reflected a wider challenge faced by politicians, who were often expected to pursue long-term policy reforms while responding to people in immediate need.
He said both were necessary.
“There is also another criticism that, ‘You’re a politician. Even at the time when I was in the opposition, why are you doing these welfare cases? You’re supposed to do policy. You’re supposed to change the system.’
“I agree. I totally agree. But a hungry person or a homeless person cannot wait.”
The Bukit Mertajam MP recalled meeting a family of five or six, including babies, who were living in a car, arguing that politicians could not wait for lengthy policy processes before extending immediate assistance to people facing hardship.
“Do we wait for committees to sit? Do we wait for the laws to be passed in Parliament?
“Can these people wait for all this to be sorted out, and then the law being implemented, and then only get help? No,” he said.
“The hungry person needs immediate help.”
Sim said his role as an elected representative gave him a high level of public visibility, which he believed should be used to help others rather than solely for political purposes.
“As an MP, my visibility is very high. So what do I use that visibility for? To get votes only? To talk about my own big values that may not have any impact on the homeless guy?
“No. I want my visibility to give shelter to that person, even if temporary, to change his life.”
At the same time, Sim said immediate welfare assistance should be accompanied by long-term reforms to address the underlying causes of hardship.
“You have to save the current house on fire before you go and make sure that the hydrants are there,” he said.
“The hungry person needs immediate help.” — August 27, 2026