'Never felt so berkira' Awal Ashaari laments weak ringgit, high expenses in Italy

SHAH ALAM - Prominent Malaysian actor Awal Ashaari expressed his frustration over the low value of the Malaysian ringgit during his trip to Italy, which resulted in significant expenses.

In a recent post on his official Threads account, Awal Ashaari shared his disappointment, highlighting the weakness of the Malaysian ringgit during his Italian journey.

"Out of all my trips to Italy, I have never felt so cautious about spending.

"Even a simple coffee costs a lot. We haven't even started shopping, and we've already spent thousands of ringgit on expenses.

"Our ringgit is so weak that €10 is equivalent to RM50. We paid nearly RM100 for two servings of fried rice, which cost €18," he explained.

His post resonated with others in the Threads community, including prominent figures who shared similar sentiments.

Nadia Nasimuddin, daughter of the late Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin (Malaysia's billionaire and founder of the Naza Group), echoed Awal's observations.

"Absolutely true! I felt the same during our trip to London. Just looking at the bills from Deliveroo was so expensive," she commented.

Actress and television presenter Sarimah Ibrahim and renowned businesswoman and founder of the Cuura Group, Sarah ShahNor also added their thoughts expressing shock and sadness at the situation.

Another Threads user, Farhana Miskom mentioned that she would need to reconsider her vacation plans and be more mindful of currency exchange rates.

"Need to check back again on the vacay plan. Thanks for the update," she said.

Awal Ashaari and his wife, actress Scha Alyahya were attending the 80th Venice Film Festival in Venice during their trip.