Malaysians won’t forget how the government handled the floods, says Umno vice president
JOHOR BARU: Umno vice president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has reminded the government that Malaysians will not forget its weaknesses in handling the flood disaster.
The former Johor mentri besar added the catastrophic floods were due to the impact of climate change that had hit the country badly and it was painful to see the loss, destruction and misery that many Malaysians went through.
“Despite the grief that befell the country and the nation, a great lesson has emerged. Malaysia is ‘more a society and less state’,” he said in a Facebook post here on Sunday (Dec 26).
Mohamed Khaled added the kindness, assistance and all efforts of individuals and non-governmental organisations prove that the true story and values of Malaysians were solidarity, unity, tolerance and helping one another.
He also said that the government should take it as a lesson and that its weakness in managing the crisis would not be forgotten by the people.
Without naming names, Mohamed Khaled also blasted several government representatives in handling the flood situation.
He said a government representative who recently spoke on an international stage that climate change did not have a major impact on Malaysia must learn to understand the data before making such statements.
“The government representative who was confused about the function of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and National Security Council (NSC) and how it should be managed, should do the most honourable thing and resign.
“A government representative who dressed sharply in a Baju Melayu just for the sake of launching a volunteer movement, has stoked the people’s anger,” he added.
Mohamed Khaled also said the most unfortunate was the invisibility of many senior and non senior representatives in the Cabinet during such a crisis was deeply regrettable with apparently, many having gone on vacation leaving the country in a state of disarray.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob seemed to be alone in the management of this crisis.
“Although he immediately went to the ground and persistently announced various government interventions, the people’s anger over the performance of other Cabinet members is very difficult to curb.
“They did not in the least display the resilience commensurate with 90% of their performance achievement marks,” he said, adding that inheriting a weak Cabinet from the failed Perikatan Nasional government was a problem that Malaysia needs to solve.
He warned that Malaysia would continue to face many more unforeseen environmental and economic crises with the nation needing performing and competent government members.
“The Prime Minister has the opportunity to reset this and he knows how to do it as the people have sent a clear signal.
“All these recent developments show that the ‘current position of the government’ is an administrative formula that is no longer suitable for Malaysia,” he added.