For Umno, when it rains, it pours and floods

While the floods ravage Terengganu and Pahang, Umno has yet to respond to the plight of the denizens that support the party the most. - The Malaysian Insider pic, December 6, 2013.As it rains, pours and floods in the East Coast, several towns are being cut off and thousands are being evacuated to relief centres by civil defence and army personnel.

Yet in Malaysia, what is important is the politician for the photo-op either to inquire their well-being or to hand over aid. This time, none of that was happening in Terengganu or Pahang, which is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's home state.

There is some disquiet why Umno politicians are not at the scene – perhaps due to the low numbers being evacuated compared to the more than 100,000 that sought shelter and relief in 2006 when Johor was inundated.

Then and now, people grumbled at the prime minister's absence. In 2006, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was on the back foot as he was abroad when the worst floods in a century hit Johor.

Abdullah was on a state visit and year-end holidays and his expression of sadness and regret about the floods did not mollify either the flood evacuees or pro-Umno bloggers who had some beef with him.

It was just another issue to tack to him and undermine his leadership in the party. Just 30 months after the Johor floods and historic losses in Election 2008, the avuncular politician known as Pak Lah stepped down as prime minister and party president.

For Najib, the floods are hitting Pahang just as his Umno gathers for its annual general assembly. Thousands, including all leaders, are huddled in Umno's Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) to listen to speeches, shop and enjoy the leaders' hospitality at the various brunches, luncheons, teas and dinners.

None of them are in Kemaman or Kuantan, among the hardest hit towns where residents are appealing for help and wondering why Najib and his cohorts are crowing about popular votes and exhorting the party to represent the people when they are in dire need of help.

Shouldn't Putrajaya focus on the floods in its support base rather than hang out in PWTC or are the ministers right in saying everything is under control? The fact that Malaysians themselves are organising food convoys suggest that there isn't enough aid going through and people are fed up with the government and taking matters in their own hands.

And would that support veteran journalist Datuk Abdul Kadir Jasin's contention about Najib's call for Umno to be a party of the people reflects the growing chasm and detachment between the Malay nationalist party and the people it purportedly represent?

Perhaps it is just bad timing and the floods are not so bad that it warrants the prime minister to be at the scene. But in 2006, Pak Lah went through the same experience and lost his job later.

Najib might as well learn from history and ensure it does not repeat. After all, it is his home state and it returned both his Barisan Nasional in the May 5 general election as well as his slate of candidates at the party elections.

Also, floods have a tendency of washing away people and property, and in Umno's case, washing out people's political careers.