Minister not posing, was cleaning lizard and bird droppings - Welfare Dept
The Welfare Department has come out in defence of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun, stressing that she was not "posing" when she participated in a cleaning operation at a flood-relief centre.
It said this in response to a viral video on Twitter showing Rina firing a stream of water jet at the cement floor while surrounded by photographers.
This prompted netizens to question why she was washing a...
The Welfare Department has come out in defence of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun, stressing that she was not "posing" when she participated in a cleaning operation at a flood-relief centre.
It said this in response to a viral video on Twitter showing Rina firing a stream of water jet at the cement floor while surrounded by photographers.
This prompted netizens to question why she was washing a "clean" floor when there are homes inundated with mud left behind by receding floodwaters.
The Welfare Department said the incident took place at Sekolah Kebangsaan Salak Tinggi, which served as a flood-relief centre from Dec 18 to 23 and had to be cleaned and restored for the resumption of the schooling semester.
"The Welfare Department is called to respond to the viral issue claiming Rina was only posing when she washed the cement floor at the school.
"The Welfare Department as the department in charge of the operations had requested Rina to wash the stain left behind by bird and lizard droppings which the school had, before this, said was difficult to clean.
"As there was a waterjet in the area, Rina did not reject the Welfare Department's request and willingly did the job," the department said in a statement on Facebook.
'Minister also participated in other cleaning work'
The department also stressed that the cement floor was not the only thing the minister had cleaned.
"She had also participated in other cleaning work and logistical arrangements at the school. The pictures of those activities are attached for the public," it said.
The Welfare Department proceeded to furnish images of Rina sweeping the floor in a classroom, clearing a tent and arranging a table.
"The Welfare Department feels that it is unfair for netizens to make allegations and belittle Rina's efforts and involvement in the cleaning operations," it said.
The department also urged members of the public to participate in such efforts by signing up through the Keluarga Malaysia volunteer programme to help in the post-flood clean-up.
Several states, particularly in parts of Selangor and Pahang, were devastated by roof-level flash floods after a tropical depression dumped a month's worth of rain in a single day.
The rain started in the late evening of Dec 17 and lasted over the weekend. In some low-lying areas, the water took days to recede and some residents were stranded on rooftops overnight.
The flood left a trail of destruction and blanketed homes and properties in mud.
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