Nothing strange playing golf with world leaders, says Najib

US President Barack Obama with Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Marine Corps base golf course in Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii, recently. – Reuters pic, December 27, 2014.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak today defended himself against critics over his golfing session with US President Barack Obama in Hawaii, which earned the wrath of Malaysians on social media who questioned the timing of his visit amid the worst floods in the country's history.

The prime minister said the game was planned much earlier, calling it "golf diplomacy" which had been practised by Malaysian leaders in the past, including his father, the late Tun Abdul Razak.

"Actually, during President Obama's visit to Malaysia, he had said that if coincidentally I were in Hawaii together with him (Obama), he would like to play golf with me.

"And playing golf is not something strange or extraordinary... because during the times of Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman (second deputy prime minister), playing golf with world leaders could be described as golf diplomacy," he said, as reported by Bernama tonight.

He added that the invitation by Obama "was difficult to decline" as it was planned based on their schedules.

News and pictures of him in a round of golf with Obama at the Marine Corps base course in Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii set off an avalanche of comments on his Facebook, many criticising him for not being in the country to monitor the floods which ravaged the east coast and which now continue to displace tens of thousands of people.

Najib responded by saying that he had been in constant touch with his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was tasked with supervising the relief efforts.

Najib, who cut short his holiday, arrived in Kelantan early today, and announced a string of measures to help flood victims.

He also announced half-a-billion ringgit worth of aid to states hit by the floods, which have so far affected more than 161,000 people in eight states.

- TMI