YOURSAY | ‘What do the politicians do Anwar?’
PM calls for private sector to help with flood aid
Vijay47: I certainly agree that those of us who are better off and not afflicted by the ongoing circumstances have a call of civil duty to help the more unfortunate ones if possible.
Regarding the person from Bukit Mertajam who sent 10 lorry-loads of food to the flood-stricken areas, I note, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, that you referred to him by race, Chinese.
Coming from you, I can understand this.
You seem surprised, shocked even, that Malaysian charity crosses racial lines, and we help when we can, unmindful of who the victims are.
Your surprise must stem from the fact that you practise a radically different kind of philosophy – almost the entire beneficiaries of your Madani largesse have been Malays and Muslims, with token assistance to others.
Certainly, a politician of your breed would be surprised. Should you really want help from others, Anwar, perhaps you should approach your fat cat Arab friends – you have been struggling desperately enough to ingratiate yourself as their kin. I am sure that they will answer your plea for help.
In the meantime, don’t introduce race into disaster assistance. Malaysians - whether Indians, Ibans, Chinese, Kadazans, or Malays - are willing to help each other.
Cogito Ergo Sum: Malaysians, in general, have no qualms about helping one another without coloured lenses.
There is no need to mention the race of the man who organised the food aid to Kelantan. Was he not a Malaysian?
Your Madani administration and immediate previous ones have emphasised race and religion as important criteria for getting “extra” aid and special treatment.
Now you ask the private sector for help in alleviating the flood problem. They have been doing it for years before you were even in power!
Like your core supporters, you will ignore and discard them after you have achieved your objectives.
But they are now used to it. Suggest you ask your friend in Türkiye for help.
BOBBYO: Many private companies and individuals come forward every year, not only during the flood season to help Malaysians of all races.
What do the politicians do Anwar? Clean up the treasury, create rifts between the races, and protect their own positions and interests year in and year out.
After over 60 years of independence, floods occur not only on the east coast of the peninsula but in other states as well.
Is it due to the politicians approving projects that should not have been approved?
Is it politicians who spend more time concentrating on their own projects?
Is it due to politicians spending their energy and resources fighting amongst themselves?
Is it because they do not know anything about running this nation?
Is it because politicians create friction between the races so that they can hide their own mistakes?
Stop this hypocrisy. Malaysians have always been there for their fellow citizens. They don’t care about race.
It is people like you, PAS and Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh that do the most damage.
Knucklehead: Anwar, the people are struggling, and key issues remain unaddressed:
1. Why does the government keep approving projects that involve deforestation and disrupt natural water flow to rivers?
2. What proactive measures is the government taking to combat climate change and its impact on Malaysia?
3. Flooding occurs year after year. What tangible actions have been implemented to mitigate this? Look at Holland as a model if expertise is lacking!
4. Our contractors and engineers seem incompetent, focusing on short-term gains rather than implementing long-term solutions to recurring problems like flooding.
As prime minister, your focus seems skewed toward international matters, with frequent travel and rhetoric.
Where is your commitment to addressing critical domestic issues like flooding? Before calling for external assistance, what concrete steps is your government taking?
Where is the focus, prime minister?
MarioT: We are Malaysians irrespective of race or religion.
The way the past and present governments carry on is as though the non-Malays do not exist.
We have given help in the past and will continue to do so because we have feelings for our fellow citizens faced with calamities without giving a thought to who he or she is or what race or religion they belong to.
Similarly, we ask you to treat everyone with equality and not divide and rule. Spend more time in your domestic affairs.
Rastaman: Enough of all this storytelling. Go revisit the Auditor-General’s report and find out what happened to the billions of funds allocated for flood mitigation.
The answer lies there. For more than 30 years billions of ringgit were set aside, and now you are begging for the private sector’s help.
The Oracle: The government is directly responsible for the welfare and security of the nation and the people within. All forms of emergency funding fall within the responsibility of the federal or state governments.
Pushing the buck onto the private sector is irresponsible and an indication of a failing economic and political system.
Mueller: That’s a pretty arrogant way to ask for help with the government’s failure to prevent disasters like this.
No wonder foreign investments are low. We have a prime minister who only knows how to shame the private sector, stealing credit for other people’s work, the “goyang kaki.” (shaking legs)
KK Voter: Private companies and citizens have always helped and contributed generously, doing so colour-blind.
Just ask organisations like Kembara Kitchen and other disaster relief NGOs.
Is the prime minister really that ignorant, or does he want to take credit for that too?
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