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What will flood victims think of the PM?

YOURSAY ‘The PM here or in Hawaii does not make any difference to M’sians.’                        

Najib tees off with Obama in Hawaii

    

Negarawan: While the country is suffering from unprecedented floods in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang with hundreds of lives still unaccounted for, PM Najib Razak is enjoying golf in Hawaii.

 

US President Barack Obama is on his last term, and is facing heavy criticism over his domestic and foreign policies. Other than being obsessed with taking selfies with Obama, Najib is barking up the wrong tree.

 

I doubt the next US president will be as sympathetic to Najib and Umno, as can be seen by growing criticism of Umno's human rights abuses and racial/religious extremism by various US senators and the US ambassador to Malaysia.

 

The Mask: What kind of prime minister who goes on holidays and plays golf while the east coast is suffering from the worst floods in years. Where is the compassion?

 

Maybe Kelantan is not under Umno hence the indifference, but at least pretend to have some compassion. The least Najib can do is to stay put in the country until the crisis is over. What would the poor flood victims think of their PM?

 

Those who said that the PM has got all his men to do the job, don’t really know what leadership is. So the next time when one of your loved ones falls sick, you can go for your holidays, as there are others in the family and the doctor to take care of him/her, is it?

 

Whatever relationships that need improving can always be done at some other time. The Sultan of Perak has ordered the cancellation of all festivals, and so has the government of Terengganu.

 

That's what I call showing compassion and feelings for the flood victims. When the rakyat suffer, the leaders must share their suffering too.

 

Teropong Dunia: We have to be realistic and understand that a PM's role is neither to direct flood efforts nor to wade through flood waters to carry victims to safety.

 

He is better served monitoring the situation and approves allocations and allows the right emergency bodies and his ministers to do their work.

 

Vijay47: Many have quite appropriately commented on Najib fiddling while Kelantan was flooding, the need for him to take numerous holidays overseas every year when he is hardly known to have done an honest day's work in his entire stint as prime minister, and finally, sticking the country for his private holiday bills.

What surprises me is why Obama is dancing with Najib this often, and so soon after his recent visit to Malaysia. He is not known to have similar frequent meetings with leaders of other major countries like the UK, Germany, India, China, or Germany.

 

Why Malaysia? Now I am wondering, will the next meeting between the two be in Diego Garcia?

 

Whysoserious: What can really be done if Najib actually went to the flood areas? Not to forget, he did check up the victims a few days before he fled to meet Obama.

 

It's not like he forsaken his people without any attention. Come on people, you can do better than this.

 

Gerard Lourdesamy: The floods have not reached the stage where a state of emergency needs to be declared although the 90,000 victims is a staggering figure.

 

The PM is entitled to his vacation but not too many and not as often as he has done in the past. The DPM and the National Security Council can handle the flood situation.

 

The only reason this trip was made is because:

 

(i) Najib needs to soothe the US over its strong objection to the retention and continued use of the Sedition Act 1948;

 

(ii) to contain any fallout with Washington if Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty and sent to jail - something which is being demanded by the Mahathir camp in Umno, failing which moves will be intensified to remove the PM before GE14; and

 

(iii) to seal the TPPA (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement) which the US is demanding and we are delaying.

 

It is difficult for the US to consider us as a strategic partner with the incessant anti-American rhetoric coming out of Malaysia. It seems Najib needs the US more than most Malaysians.

 

Progressive: Politics and sentiments aside - this is good for the country. A coup for our diplomatic corp.

 

Najib's diplomatic efforts with global leaders will surely bring great benefits for our country and people, and Najib need to be congratulated for his effort.

 

ZhuGeLiang: I must commend our PM on his good public relations. This is the first time in our history that a Malaysian PM gets to play golf with a US president.

 

One thing I must give credit to Najib is his foreign policy. Unlike during the time of  Dr Mahathir Mohamad, relationships with US, Singapore and China, our three biggest trading partners, are much better.

 

Mushiro: Going for his own overseas holidays is okay. But how many of these holidays were his own vacation and how many were on 'working visits'?

The use of government assets such as jets on private holidays is something that Najib blatantly abuse. Why wasn't this announced? His Christmas message on TV portrayed as if he was in Malaysia.

 

KY Jelly: There is nothing wrong (for Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor) enjoying their Christmas holidays in Hawaii. Perhaps their agenda to bring a stronger relationship between the two countries (Malaysia and US), in terms of economy, security, education, science, technology and so on.

 

Thana55: The PM here or in Hawaii does not make any difference to the ordinary Malaysian. But what makes all of us furious is the use of the private jet for gallivanting around the world and for undeserved holidays.

 

Anonymous #01428088: Yes, well done to our PM. Malaysia is just "ponding", so please enjoy your holidays.

 

Louis: History repeats itself. Before Pak Lah's ouster, he visited Perth at the peak of Johor floods. And Najib is visiting Hawaii, also at the peak of flooding in East Coast.

 

This does not bode well for Najib. It is a sign that he may go Pak Lah's way real soon.


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