PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has hit back at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for saying some opposition MPs were nowhere to be found during December’s floods.
Anwar (PH-Port Dickson) acknowledged that Ismail had gone to the ground when the floods struck but pointed out that some of his ministers were missing.
“Some, in fact, were away to perform the pilgrimage. People were dying, but they chose to perform the pilgrimage,“ he told the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat to discuss the floods today.
Anwar was referring to Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who had gone to perform the umrah last month.
Former federal minister Mohamad Sabu (PH-Kota Raja) also acknowledged the matter and criticised Tuan Ibrahim.
“A minister like this should be fired,” said Mohamad.
Earlier, Ismail had chided some opposition MPs for their absence during the flood situation in Selangor after several questioned the prime minister for the federal government’s three-day delay in helping flood victims in Selangor.
A week after Selangor was wrecked by the floods, Ismail had ordered all ministers to return home immediately.
Among the ministers who were abroad during the floods were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu who was in Dubai with his sons.
A total of 38,113 families involving 136,030 people were moved to the 1,112 flood relief centres and since then, the government has allocated RM1.4 billion to help flood victims, said Ismail.