Najib & M'sians Taunt Terengganu MB For Allegedly Holidaying In NZ During Flood Season
Many Malaysians are asking where the Terengganu Menteri Besar is when his state needs him the most.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 21 Dec 2022, 03:46 PM
Many Malaysians from all walks of life, including one in prison, are taunting the Terengganu Menteri Besar (MB) for allegedly vacationing in New Zealand when his state needs him the most
In a tweet this morning, 21 December, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently serving his 12-year prison sentence, posted a photo of former Auckland mayor Len Brown in front of a local signboard.
"Is Auckland in the middle of floods?" Najib remarked, sarcastically asking if tragedy had struck New Zealand as hard as it had at home, warranting a visit from the MB.
Speaking to Malaysiakini today, 21 December, Terengganu's State Welfare, Women Development, Family, and National Unity Committee chairperson Hanafiah Mat confirmed that the state's MB, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, is indeed in Auckland, and is coming back to Malaysia today.
Below Najib's tweet, many netizens posted screenshots of a flight itinerary for Samsuri and his wife and an invoice for a car rental service in Auckland.
"How can you, as the MB of the state that's most vulnerable to monsoon floods, leave the country at this time?" read a tweet by a profile that stands against corruption and racism.
Some netizens also mocked the MB for a statement he made in September when he said his party, PAS, did not wish for the 15th General Election (GE15) to be held at the end of 2022, as the government should focus on flood issues.
Several of them also sarcastically 'congratulated' Samsuri for being the new "MB of New Zealand".
Meanwhile, former UMNO supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam also chimed in on criticising the MB, revealing more information about his trip to New Zealand
Citing Lokman's Facebook live session last night, 20 December, Malaysiakini reported him as saying that Samsuri and his wife departed for Auckland on 11 December and are slated to return home tomorrow, 22 December.
"We checked to see if he (Samsuri) would make arrangements to fly home earlier, as the flooding in his state worsened. But no, the original flight plans remain," he said during the livestream.
"This is your leader, 'honeymooning' with the family is more important than the people's suffering."
A check on Samsuri's Facebook page found that he uploaded many flood-related posts, but none of them featured him personally in any flooded areas.
Additionally, a report by Berita Harian today quoted a local state executive council (exco) member as saying that they did not know of Samsuri's whereabouts at the moment.
As of this morning, Free Malaysia Today reported that about 40,450 residents in Terengganu have been evacuated to 299 relief centres.
