OPINION | If Zamri Vinoth Drives a Jaguar, Maybe We’ve Been Choosing the Wrong Careers
13 Mar 2026 • 5:00 PM MYT
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Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)
Photo credit: Kosmo!
Recently, my fellow Newswav opinion columnist TheRealNehruism wrote about a viral incident in Bukit Mertajam where controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth was confronted by two motorcyclists.
However, the writer seemed fascinated - not by the chaos - but by something else entirely: the fact that the preacher was driving a Jaguar.
Every time a preacher drives a luxury car, society reacts as if the laws of physics have been violated.
“A preacher… in a Jaguar???”
Yes. A Jaguar. Four wheels, leather seats, probably very nice air-conditioning. Not exactly the Ark of the Covenant.
Personally, I don’t see the problem.
We live in a country where motivational speakers charge thousands per talk, influencers earn money from skincare routines, and TikTokers get sponsorships for reviewing nasi lemak. But the moment a man earns a living saving souls, suddenly everyone becomes the guardian of poverty and humility.
Why the double standard?
If anything, preaching might be one of the most stable industries left in the modern economy.
Think about it.
Accountants? AI might replace them. Graphic designers? AI is already replacing them. Software engineers? Even they are starting to sweat.
But religion?
People have been worrying about the afterlife for thousands of years. Demand has been remarkably consistent.
In fact, if you look at it from a purely economic perspective, preaching is an excellent business model.
The product is invisible. The rewards are eternal. Customer satisfaction cannot be verified until death.
Honestly, Harvard Business School should study this.
So when a preacher pulls up in a Jaguar, maybe instead of judging him, we should admire his entrepreneurial spirit. After all, saving souls is no small task.
You have to manage followers, deliver weekly content, maintain a strong personal brand, and constantly compete with other spiritual influencers in the marketplace of faith.
That takes skill. And skill deserves compensation.
The Jaguar Advantage
Let’s also remember that luxury cars can be very practical tools for outreach.
Imagine the impact when a potential convert sees a preacher step out of a Jaguar.
“Wow,” they might think. “This religion seems to be doing quite well.”
It’s basically marketing. Corporate executives call it brand positioning. Religious people call it blessings.
Either way, the message is clear: salvation apparently comes with excellent suspension and premium upholstery.
Of course, critics insist that religious figures should live modestly.
But that raises an uncomfortable question.
Why do we only expect religious people to reject wealth?
No one tells corporate lawyers to downgrade to a Perodua for moral consistency.
No one demands that motivational speakers deliver seminars from a second-hand Saga.
But a preacher buys a Jaguar and suddenly society acts like he has violated the Ten Commandments of Automotive Humility.
Perhaps it’s time to rethink our expectations.
Time to Reevaluate Our Choices
Maybe the real lesson here is not about outrage. Maybe the lesson is about career guidance.
For years we have been telling young people to become doctors, engineers, accountants, programmers. But looking at the current economy, maybe we’ve been giving them the wrong advice.
If you want job security, influence, and possibly a luxury car… maybe the real growth industry is saving souls.
And who knows? If things go well, you might not only secure rewards in the afterlife.
You might also get heated leather seats in this one.
Perhaps the real reason TheRealNehruism was so fixated on Zamri driving a Jag is because it made him wonder if he had chosen the wrong profession. Maybe instead of writing opinion pieces, he should have been writing sermons.
In fact, I myself am starting to wonder the same thing.
After years of writing articles and scripts, the most luxurious vehicle I have ever owned is a 16-year-old Myvi that wheezes slightly every time I start the engine.
Maybe we’ve all misunderstood the career advice we’ve been giving young people.
Study hard, become a doctor, an engineer, an accountant?
Perhaps the real message should be simpler.
If you want to save souls… that’s noble. But if you want to save souls and eventually upgrade to a Jaguar, apparently that’s possible too.
And frankly, if my Myvi breaks down one more time this year, I might just start working on my first sermon.
Recently, my fellow Newswav opinion columnist TheRealNehruism wrote about a viral incident in Bukit Mertajam where controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth was confronted by two motorcyclists.
However, the writer seemed fascinated - not by the chaos - but by something else entirely: the fact that the preacher was driving a Jaguar.
Every time a preacher drives a luxury car, society reacts as if the laws of physics have been violated.
“A preacher… in a Jaguar???”
Yes. A Jaguar. Four wheels, leather seats, probably very nice air-conditioning. Not exactly the Ark of the Covenant.
Personally, I don’t see the problem.
We live in a country where motivational speakers charge thousands per talk, influencers earn money from skincare routines, and TikTokers get sponsorships for reviewing nasi lemak. But the moment a man earns a living saving souls, suddenly everyone becomes the guardian of poverty and humility.
Why the double standard?
If anything, preaching might be one of the most stable industries left in the modern economy.
Think about it.
Accountants? AI might replace them. Graphic designers? AI is already replacing them. Software engineers? Even they are starting to sweat.
But religion?
People have been worrying about the afterlife for thousands of years. Demand has been remarkably consistent.
In fact, if you look at it from a purely economic perspective, preaching is an excellent business model.
The product is invisible. The rewards are eternal. Customer satisfaction cannot be verified until death.
Honestly, Harvard Business School should study this.
So when a preacher pulls up in a Jaguar, maybe instead of judging him, we should admire his entrepreneurial spirit. After all, saving souls is no small task.
You have to manage followers, deliver weekly content, maintain a strong personal brand, and constantly compete with other spiritual influencers in the marketplace of faith.
That takes skill. And skill deserves compensation.
The Jaguar Advantage
Let’s also remember that luxury cars can be very practical tools for outreach.
Imagine the impact when a potential convert sees a preacher step out of a Jaguar.
“Wow,” they might think. “This religion seems to be doing quite well.”
It’s basically marketing. Corporate executives call it brand positioning. Religious people call it blessings.
Either way, the message is clear: salvation apparently comes with excellent suspension and premium upholstery.
Of course, critics insist that religious figures should live modestly.
But that raises an uncomfortable question.
Why do we only expect religious people to reject wealth?
No one tells corporate lawyers to downgrade to a Perodua for moral consistency.
No one demands that motivational speakers deliver seminars from a second-hand Saga.
But a preacher buys a Jaguar and suddenly society acts like he has violated the Ten Commandments of Automotive Humility.
Perhaps it’s time to rethink our expectations.
Time to Reevaluate Our Choices
Maybe the real lesson here is not about outrage. Maybe the lesson is about career guidance.
For years we have been telling young people to become doctors, engineers, accountants, programmers. But looking at the current economy, maybe we’ve been giving them the wrong advice.
If you want job security, influence, and possibly a luxury car… maybe the real growth industry is saving souls.
And who knows? If things go well, you might not only secure rewards in the afterlife.
You might also get heated leather seats in this one.
Perhaps the real reason TheRealNehruism was so fixated on Zamri driving a Jag is because it made him wonder if he had chosen the wrong profession. Maybe instead of writing opinion pieces, he should have been writing sermons.
In fact, I myself am starting to wonder the same thing.
After years of writing articles and scripts, the most luxurious vehicle I have ever owned is a 16-year-old Myvi that wheezes slightly every time I start the engine.
Maybe we’ve all misunderstood the career advice we’ve been giving young people.
Study hard, become a doctor, an engineer, an accountant?
Perhaps the real message should be simpler.
If you want to save souls… that’s noble. But if you want to save souls and eventually upgrade to a Jaguar, apparently that’s possible too.
And frankly, if my Myvi breaks down one more time this year, I might just start working on my first sermon.
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