PETALING JAYA: Siti Azzahra Abd Razly, the face of the “Saya Zahra” #SayaSayangkanMalaysia (I am Zahra #I love Malaysia) campaign did not expect the video of her speaking about her financial struggles to go viral.

But what shocked the law graduate was the fallout from the video, with criticism levelled at her family as well.

“People were attacking my private life, saying Zahra is a whiner, attacking my family, saying they did not raise their child properly,” the 23-year-old told The Malaysian Insider, admitting she cried when she read the comments.

“Some claimed that I went on stage to gain attention when the truth is far from that. This is very hurtful when I am doing this for everyone,” she said.

Zahra became a hot topic on social media after a video of her speaking of her financial struggles despite being a graduate was uploaded by the Malay Economic Action Council on its Facebook page and shared online.

Her audience included Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Her appearance drew agreement but also criticism from those who felt she had yet to experience the real world when she complained about being unable to own a home after working for just two years.

Some said she was naive to think that working life would be easy, while others said her financial struggles were no different from what previous generations had to endure in order to own a home or pay off debts. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on July 22, 2015.