COMMENT | Glossary of incompetence, ineffectiveness and indifference
COMMENT | The floods that devastated several parts of the country brought the best and the worst in our elected representatives. Their words and deeds from them were nothing more than showboating.
So many idiotic and uncouth statements were made over the past week. Leaders watched with folded arms as the people suffered.
Their reaction to the sufferings of the people can only be described as pathetic. So, here is an A-to-Z glossary of some of their roles and the terms used by the central characters who made the headlines for the wrong reasons...
COMMENT | The floods that devastated several parts of the country brought the best and the worst in our elected representatives. Their words and deeds from them were nothing more than showboating.
So many idiotic and uncouth statements were made over the past week. Leaders watched with folded arms as the people suffered.
Their reaction to the sufferings of the people can only be described as pathetic. So, here is an A-to-Z glossary of some of their roles and the terms used by the central characters who made the headlines for the wrong reasons.
This list is not exhaustive as there are have been scores of other statements and incidences. So, here it goes:
Actors: Some elected representatives were masquerading as relief workers after the floodwaters had receded. (see “politicians:)
Bodoh (stupid) and bangang (brainless): Interchangeable words that were used to describe some politicians and their attitudes and responses to the floods.
Convoy: A proven practice used by government officials travelling in a group accompanied by police cars and sirens. (Just to distract or seek attention)
Disaster: When disaster strikes, guess who are the ones who were in the forefront while others simply disappeared?
Exploitation: People expressing anger over the perceived manipulation of the disaster for publicity are boiling over on social media.
Engage: The act of political leaders calling each other names as to their responsibilities.
Fail: The grade that ought to be given to the efforts of the government in handling the floods.
Follow (the leader): The chief secretary waited for the cue from the prime minister before cancelling the leave of senior civil servants. Couldn’t he have acted of his own volition?
God-sent: The (idiotic) reason given by a religious leader that Shah Alam was hit by floods because of the presence of a brewery.
Holiday: Some government officials shirked their responsibilities to have a vacation and perhaps still in London for the Boxing Day sale.
High-heels: The latest fashion statement for the well-heeled (pun intended) when visiting flood victims.
Incompetence: A common commodity that stood out like a sore thumb when government officials were tasked with responsibilities.
Jabatan Kajicuaca (Meteorological Department): When everything failed, someone had to be thrown under the bus. The fall guy when incompetence, negligence and lack of preparedness were brought up.
Kudos: To the hundreds of volunteers and a handful of elected representatives who were on scene doing relief work when water started rising and worked in shifts to ensure rescue efforts went on non-stop.
Leadership: Where was it when it was needed most?
Mumbo jumbo: Some politicians made fools of themselves with all that mumbo jumbo before TV cameras. But they are going to be elected again, because to them, cash is king.
Nadma: The National Disaster Management Agency that seemed to have lost its way when its involvement and commitment were most needed.
Order: The directive given to ministers to cut short their holidays and return home to assist in the aftermath of the floods. It came a bit too late. The horses had bolted before the barn door was shut.
Politicians: Some had the audacity to plaster their faces on cardboard boxes on all four sides to ensure they are recognized. Some spent time, effort and money to make posters and create videos of their efforts? How many empty stomachs could have been fed with all that money?
Passing (the buck): Elected leaders and heads of government agencies do this when making wrong decisions or caught flat-footed.
Quid pro quo: We deserve the people we elected. They are returning the favour by shirking their responsibilities.
Responsibility: The rarest quality which was looking and its opposite were used by all and sundry for failing the country and its people.
Spat: The war of words between politicians from the ruling party quarrelling on their respective officials of a government body.
Social media: Netizens used it effectively to report the situation on the ground. However, the government sought to ban comments on a micro-blogging site because the truth was being told.
Tourist: A minister braved the floodwaters in a relief boat to watch the devastation with a team of officers and cameramen in tow. He was must have been collating tips for the Tourism Minister – though unsolicited.
Unapologetic: No remorse, no regret, nothing for the delay in rescue operations by various government agencies.
Volunteers: The people who actually did the work without posing for the cameras or loading clips on Tik-Tok or YouTube. Syabas to them.
Video: The weapon used to name and shame the publicity seekers who took advantage of the floods to score Brownie points.
Wave: An action by politicians to acknowledge the people’s suffering but failed to lift a finger when they came calling in relief centres.
X: Members of the XXXL Cabinet could do little except making statements. It’s a case of NATO – No action, talk only.
Yes: It will be a resounding, unequivocal and unanimous “yes” if the people say that this government failed us completely.
Zenith/Zero: Two weeks ago, the government celebrated its zenith in achieving 90% KPI for its 100 days in office, Sadly, it dropped to zero a week later.
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread and butter issues, Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
