What had happened in New Orleans during the aftermath of Katrina is happening in Johor. Looting has been reported:
SEGAMAT: The ugly side of human nature has started to emerge from the floods that have hit several states — there are reports of looting and people are claiming that certain parties, including uniformed personnel, have asked for money before rescuing victims.
This is a major disaster, make no mistake of that. But where is the Prime Minister?
Just like in New Orleans, this is becoming a failure in leadership.
Borrowing Bakri Musa’s phrase: Undurlah Pak Lah!
p/s – Ego amid disaster:
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Bernama) — Malaysia does not need foreign help to tackle the severe flood situation in the country, which so far has claimed six lives, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.
Najib, who is also Defence Minister and chairman of the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, said Malaysia was capable of handling the situation and that flood relief efforts were put in motion the moment floods struck in the states of Johor, Pahang, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan and Melaka.
“We will handle it ourselves. The situation has stabilised… no need (for foreign help),” he said at a press conference at the Defence Ministry here today when asked if Malaysia would accept foreign help in tackling the disaster.
If I were the top executive person in the government, I’d accept any sincere help from anybody.
pp/s – the PM is finally back in Malaysia, more than five days after tragedy struck:
During his visit Saturday, Abdullah took a helicopter ride for an aerial view of the extent of the floods in several districts of Johor, such as Muar, Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi.
The prime minister also saw the extent of the floods in Melaka.
14 replies on “[1018] Of New Orleans of Malaysia”
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I know, but that doesn’t invalidate my point. Since when has it been right for a leader to enjoy himself while his followers are suffering? Even if the enjoyment began before the suffering did, it doesn’t put the leader in the right.
johnleemk: he was already on a holiday…
Backer:
Well, of all times to take a holiday, it sure seems like an awful time right now…
dude the PM shud just something good. whether he does it over the holidays or not its up to him, if we dont like him then we shud vote BN out.
Vote SiPM intead! =)
Has Badawi make the civil service more efficient? I agree with you on slashing the civil service and increase the pay but has the Badawi administration done that?
The whole fiasco is a symptom and the cause in Putrajaya. Or rather, the cause was in Venezuela, holidaying.
And Backer, the PM sits in the cabinet. He could cut red tape.
I rather have him cut his holiday and think and do something, rather than be on holiday and do nothing.
At SiPM we have already said that we need to slash the civil service by half and increase the salaries and jobs in services that matter.
Police, fire dept, hospitals, education and also emergency relief.
We don’t need the PM to there just to show face. He should shake the civil service to make it lean, efficient and more responsive to rakyat’s need.
I rather he take a holiday and think about how to do that rather than cutting his holiday short and just showing his face doing nothing abt it.
Why, is the PM not allowed to take a holiday ? If he was to be here, what exactly would you have him do anyways, other than pander to the inane perceptions of a public who’s long forgotten their own role in governance.
Backer, a PM should not go on holiday abroad during a major disaster. Notice that I’m not suggesting him to micro-manage the relief effort. Instead, I’m criticizing him for taking a holiday abroad during a disaster.
Really, what does “running the country” mean, anyway? Taking a holiday abroad while a disaster occurs?
Public scrutiny should be applied to all areas, without cherry picking.
Aiyah, the PM has bigger things to do, like running the country instead of micro-managing relief efforts. Let the agencies do their job. Public scrutiny should be focussed on prevention and on ensuring aid gets to them soonest.
Knee-jerk reactions just add to the noise without being a solution. The earth man may want to drive down and assist, instead of using a soapbox for political brownie points.
IMO, Pak Lah’s presence would have been most useful before the floods started. Prevention is better than cure — I honestly can’t see what his presence would do now. Even if he had a plan for flood relief, it would be a bit too late to get it implemented at present.
The only use Pak Lah’s presence would serve, as far as I can see, is that it would improve public morale. That’s about it.
Then again, this is assuming he’s doing worthwhile things with his time instead of gallivanting in a yacht somewhere. In such a case, we’d be much better off with him at least seeing to the floods, although IMO he could be put to better use elsewhere – such as perhaps drafting a new flood prevention plan.
Merah. The flood hadn’t just started. It has been almost a week now.
It’s granted that the Prime Minister couldn’t do everything. What’s important is the system.
However, when the Prime Minister is on holiday while the country is experiencing a major flood, it’s hardly a knee jerk reaction. The Prime Minister the very least should cut his vacation short and return to Malaysia. So, one has to wonder, does the Prime Minister actually care?
Besides, if the PM is not needed, why do we need and elect a PM in the first place?
Isn’t this a bit of a knee-jerk reaction from you? The floods just occurred and suddenly it seems that Malaysia cannot cope with it.
Considering that we have more than a handful of relief agencies from the Red Crescent to Mercy Malaysia to assist in the relief and aid efforts.
Do we actually need the Prime Minister to be there? Shouldn’t we just get on with the job instead of waiting for these politicians to come visit for photo-opportunities?
That’s what they do anyway! Ever seem them actually help out? The failure is not in leadership but in feudal thinking and expectations.
And a failure in the civil service to take action under their standard operating procedures for such disasters. The floods are not new to Malaysia but I guess the speed it swept through Johor and Malacca caught people with their pants down.
While we all try to help each other and those affected by the floods, let us be constructive and draw some lessons from this:- Meteorological Department’s role in predicting weather patterns, rain fall etc, Civil Rescue units role in evacuation, other departments’ role in whatever they have to do etc!
Seems to me that people – especially in the Malaysian blogosphere – just want Abdullah Ahmad Badawi out of his post! But not a change of government!
Why? The current crop of ministers all seem incompetent to me. However, the lot put up by the other parties such as DAP, PAS and PKR do not inspire any confidence.
the_earthinc, why don’t my political party and you get together and see what changes we can make, eh?!
By the way, I actually like the contents of this website. Nice!
Merry Christmas!