Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Thursday yesterday asked the people to “put trust” in him to deal with the flood crisis while Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is having his year-end holidays overseas. “I am in charge, don’t worry. Have trust in me,” he said.
How can Malaysians have faith and trust in the Deputy Prime Minister when he told the media that he will only be calling for a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to discuss the national disaster some time on Saturday?
The number of flood evacuees continued to escalate as more than 100,000 people have been displaced as a result of the worst natural disaster to hit Malaysia in recent history.
Even the UMNO Kelantan Chief, Dato’ Seri Mustapa Mohamed was reported by Astro Awani that although preparations on paper were smooth, the reality was different. Mustapa said the floods which hit Kelantan had resulted in certain obstacles and problems cropping up which could not be resolved.
“In coordinating a natural disaster of this magnitude, quick and precise instructions have to be issued by an experienced leader. We must have a commander who is capable of handling several departments simultaneously,” Mustapa told reporters in Kuala Krai.
However, not only Tan Sri Muhyiddin does not feel the necessity to call for a “state of emergency” to enable and coordinate large scale mobilisation of available government machinery to help resolve and mitigate the disaster, he did not see any urgency to crack the whip on the NSC.
Every member of the NSC should be available at a moment’s notice to attend an emergency meeting to update and discuss plans to manage the massive woes facing the rakyat. Given the scale of the crisis, NSC should have been meeting on a daily basis to cope with managing and directing the gigantic government bureaucracy as highlighted by Dato’ Seri Mustapa.
It proves the complete failure of the Government when the NSC has not met despite the rapidly worsening flood crisis which started not yesterday but nearly 2 weeks ago.
Instead, all we have heard 3 days ago was the National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab warning people against spreading false rumours regarding the flood situation. He was more concerned with going after those responsible for starting the rumours once the flood in the east coast had abated. “We won’t let them off the hook,” he said.
Yesterday, I pointed out that we do not have a problem if the Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak thinks it more important for him to complete his golfing holiday in Hawaii if the Federal Government is able to act with purpose, efficiency and urgency to deal with the crisis.
However, Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s lamest of response yesterday proved that we are running a headless government in the country with no urgent, cohesive and proactive response to the arising chaos. While this Government dithers, the rakyat are suffering with increasing reports of new flood zones all over the country.
Therefore, Prime Minister has no choice but to return to the country with his golf irons immediately to “beat” the members of his Cabinet and National Security Council into shape. The Cabinet and Council must not rest until the flood disaster is over.