It's not unusual to see politicians hamming it up for social media, but former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been really active lately.

You may have heard of his latest catchphrase, "Malu apa bossku?" Translated, it means "What are you ashamed of, my boss?"

Boss kita!

It originates from a selfie video where a Najib supporter yells "Boss kita (Our boss!)"

Najib then yells his now famous phrase. You can see it below:

For some reason, it spread like wildfire.

It apparently has roots in the Sabah dialect of Malaysia, and means something like "You're respected and have nothing to be ashamed of".

So when Najib uses it, he's referring to himself.

A meme is born

Realising that he had caught on to something, Najib promoted the heck out of the catchphrase.

It got a boost when he started posing on motorcycles bearing the license plate number B055KU, in reference to the aforementioned bossku slogan.

From PM to biker

According to the Malay Mail, Najib's deliberate reference to motorcycles could be a ploy for him to re-shape his image into a champion of the working-class.

Motorcycles are a popular mode of transport for young male working-class Malaysians.

It's similar to the U.S. concept of a politician you'd like to have a beer with, or a Singaporean politician who eats in a hawker centre.

PH Minister says, not boss but thief

The catchphrase got big enough for Najib's opponents in the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition government to take notice.

On Feb. 12, Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali said, "To me, he isn't 'Bossku' but ‘Pencuriku' (My thief)."

He also challenged Najib's recent move to delay his trial for various offences related to the 1MDB scandal, and said: "If 'Bossku' is truly confident of his innocence, why defer the trial?"

Referring to an upcoming by-election in Semenyih, Selangor, Azmin said:

"Only now he is riding bikes, eating roti canai, wearing a sarong - albeit wrongly - and taking a taxi ride. While this may work in Cameron Highlands, I would like to see him try it in Semenyih."

The Pakatan Harapan coalition had lost a recent by-election in the Cameron Highlands, losing to a Barisan Nasional candidate. Najib is a member of Barisan Nasional.

Azmin, who previously served as the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Selangor, said he would "wait" for Najib in Semenyih, "chase" him, "catch" him, and "expose" him as a thief.

Warm reception

But Najib took it in his stride.

On Feb. 13, he popped up at a Tesco supermarket outlet in, you guessed it, Semenyih.

He was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd who mobbed him for selfies and photos.

Najib commented that he would help with the campaign in Semenyih, if asked.

When someone asked him what he thought of Azmin's comments on him being a thief, he said "Saya pencuri hati rakyat", which translates to "I am the thief of the hearts of the people."

Another meme is born.

Related stories:

Top image adapted from Najib Razak's Facebook page.

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