IS there a necessity for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim “to go down to Kelantan” to monitor worsening flood situation in the PAS-rule state as evident from the number of evacuees which has risen to 54,350 victims as at 10pm last night (Nov 29)?
Such was the question posed by the now opposition-slant former Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) chairman Sri Sanjeevan Ramakrishnan (@SanjeevanSS) on the X platform which seems to attract more ‘stinging’ criticism than support.
Kenapa PM @anwaribrahim belum turun ke Kelantan untuk pantau keadaan banjir? https://t.co/CS0YM5qcMN
— SS (@SanjeevanSS) November 28, 2024
A netizen Tok Perak (@TokPerak8) fired the first salvo with a teaser that PMX may be accused of going to Kelantan as a tourist since the state has recently announced its plan to monetise its monsoon season by presumably turning “flood waters into a tourism product (like surfing and food event)”.
Obviously, the poster who is now the Bersatu associate wing information chief (he had his Datukship revoked by the Pahang ruler on Sept 15, 2021) received brickbats for not “doing so himself”.
Worse still, one commenter noticed that even when Klang, Meru and Kapar were inundated by flood waters, he was “feasting at a Bersatu Youth dinner in Shah Alam”.
Ohers reminded Sanjeevan that Kelantan has “well-paid” Menteri Besar, state assemblymen and state EXCOs who are expected to fulfil such role.
One commenter rightly pointed out that realistically, PMX would be a distraction to the security forces who are busy conducting rescue operation should he visit Kelantan at this stage given “they would need to escort and ensure his safety instead”.
Moreover, he could coordinate from afar (ie with his latest measure of freezing the leave of Cabinet ministers as well as instructing all ministers and their deputies to visit flood-hit areas to provide necessary assistance).
On commenter summed up best when he posed the question “what all the ministers are doing if PMX are expected to find investors, answer slanders, enter parliament to answer questions, educate the opposition, fight for the Palestinian plight and visit every foreign country by himself”. – Nov 30, 2024
Main image credit: HarakahDaily