KUALA LUMPUR, December 29 — A "bald move” appears to be paying off as Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s #BotakChallenge fundraiser has managed to collect a sum of RM144,760 in less than three days.

The 28-year-old had vowed to go bald if he managed to collect RM200,000 in donations in five days for his 1 Keluarga 1 Laptop campaign which aims to help Muar’s less fortunate students by providing them with laptops. 

The former youth and sports minister who has been actively updating his Twitter regarding the #BotakChallenge posted that they had collected RM61,410 in the first 24 hours of the campaign.

He said that there has been an increase in contributions after doing a Live Cooking session on Facebook and Instagram.

"Guys, we have managed to collect RM144,760!!

"Thanks a lot for helping out, just now after my Live Cooking on Facebook and Instagram, a lot of people has been messaging me inquiring on how to contribute

"Come on guys, i’m getting nervous to go bald,” Syed Saddiq said in his tweet.

Syed Saddiq’s #BotakChallenge announcements has prompted reactions from social media users with many finding it amusing as jokes and support wishes filled his tweet replies.

"I suppose you’d called this ‘a bald move’,” said Twitter user, Rohan Javet Beg.

"Salam YB, please do a ‘live’ when you’re getting the bald haircut,” said another Twitter user, Heisei.

Meanwhile, some social media users were quick to get creative after a few images of an imagined bald Syed Saddiq made its rounds on social media.

Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh tweeted that Syed Saddiq’s bald images bore an uncanny resemblance to Malaysian actor, Colin Kirton.

The 1 Keluarga 1 Laptop programme is an initiative by Syed Saddiq in 2019.

Syed Saddiq had announced on his Twitter that the #BotakChallenge is a way to keep the 1 Keluarga 1 Laptop programme afloat as funding has been withdrawn by the government.

For those who are interested in contributing to the programme, click here.