Critics of Umno's response to floods get a bashing

Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Jalil has verbally cudgelled critics accusing Umno of being slow and apathetic in its response to the fate of East Coast residents hit by massive floods, particularly those in Kuantan.

Shahrizat said the accusations were made in bad faith (bangsat) and without any basis. 

"Lies. Those statements are really mischievous. Yesterday our president (Najib Abdul Razak) was willing to leave us in this hall.

"Only once a year we gather, but he still went to visit the disaster area," she said at a press conference in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) today.

Shahrizat (centre in photo) added that the crowd at the hall had already shrunk as many ministers, members of parliament, assembly-persons, divisional chiefs and delegates, especially those from Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, were focusing on relief efforts in the affected areas.

"I want to ask where is the opposition? From what I hear the Kuantan MP Fuziah (Salleh) is busy in Parliament and is nowhere to be seen in the disaster area," she said.

Shahrizat also announced that Wanita Umno's ‘Skuad Sayang' was already in the flooded areas to help Kelab Putra Satu Malaysia, the Social Welfare Department and other agencies.

She said she wants opposition supporters and leaders to see and evaluate Umno and BN's relief efforts for themselves.

"What did they (the opposition) do for the victims and their constituents in Kuantan and Indera Mahkota today? If it wasn't for the prime minister, assemblypersons, and menteris besar from the BN, all their voters there would have been washed away," she added.

Umno flood relief in full swing

Meanwhile, Umno Youth today despatched a convoy of 100 volunteers in 30 4WD vehicles and three lorries loaded with 4,000 boxes of emergency goods to aid flood victims in Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu and parts of Johor.

This was phase two of its operations that began four days ago, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters. About 1,000 volunteers have been sent under Phase 1.

"We want to stop Facebook rumours that we are happily gathering here while a flood is happening," Khairy said at the Umno assembly.

"You must understand Umno has three  million members and we can send aid without disrupting our assembly."

Khairy said the boxes contained rice, canned sardines, mineral water, toothbrushes, blankets, towels, milk and biscuits, all worth more than RM600,000 - raised with the help of the Youth Council and the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, which lobbied for help from hypermarkets.

He said the volunteers would stay on for a third phase, which is to help in cleaning up operations, after the flood waters subside.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak endorsed the move by lending his face to the campaign poster. He also came out briefly to ask Khairy for details of the convoy and their destinations, before flagging them off from Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), where debates on the party's future are continuing.