Why the backlash against PM when he’s not responsible for flooding?
Farah Harith, The Rakyat Post
IT is rather disturbing that we have reached a point where one picture can be translated into so many different interpretations.
Safe to say that the old adage that “a picture says a thousand words” is no longer relevant as we enter a time where it speaks so much more, even if it is something completely off tangent.
As the nation is engulfed in a terrible flood disaster with at least five states falling victim to an unimaginable rise of water levels, Malaysians, particularly Opposition politicians, automatically jumped at the opportunity to hit out at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over a golf picture yesterday.
As reported by The Washington Post, Najib, who happened to be in Hawaii at the same time as United States President Barack Obama, joined the latter in a round of golf at Kaneohe Bay in Oahu.
Just like that, Najib, Obama, golf and Hawaii, spelled an internet frenzy for us at home.
DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang took to questioning the trip at a time the nation was plagued by massive flooding. However the Gelang Patah parliamentarian made a blunder in his statement when he said ‘not a single Umno minister’ had visited Kelantan yet.
This earned him backlash as folks on Twitter told him to check his facts before making such a statement.
It has already been reported all over that Multimedia and Communication Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed had been wading in flood waters in the flood-stricken state over the past few days, just to name a couple.
However, finger pointing of who is there and who is not aside, what we should also remember is that flood mitigation is not one person’s job.
What is even more apparent is that it does not solely rest on Najib’s shoulders.
Flood woes are not something new, especially not for Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and in recent years some parts of Johor.
It is common knowledge that come November and December each year, floods in these areas are to be expected.
Therefore what should be more important than wondering why our Prime Minister was golfing with Obama, is that what are those tasked with flood mitigation doing from January to October each year.
While the Meteorological Department pointed out that the extraordinary floods were partly due to the high tide from the full moon phenomenon, other relevant agencies should be more proactive, particularly with the knowledge that development is intensified every year.
With that, comes the possibility of worsening floods.
So, what exactly have they done to combat this? Or at least to anticipate it better?
The time has come where we can’t simply rely on Plan A. Time and time again we have been proven that we need Plan B, C, D, E and the alphabet continues.
