.jpg)
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright February 2023
Late on Valentine's day, Anwar left for Turkiye to meet Erdogan, an old friend whose country had been badly hit by an earthquake.
Jakim says we shouldn't celebrate Valentine's Day because it's unIslamic. But you could still remember your love ones on such a day. Particularly those who had offered help to you in your time of need in the past.
Anwar couldn't help but remember his old friend who did call for help a few days earlier. What better day to honour your love and friendship but on Valentine's Day itself.
However, when he left af 11:15 pm there was not much of the significant day left. But in Turkiye, it was hours before midnight to mark the end of Valentine's Day itself.
Although he had despatched a big rescue team earlier, paying Erdogan a visit and expressing his condolence and synpathy directly and in person would be even better.
At the same time it would help boost morale of our own rescue team if the PM were on ground zero with them.
A few photo ops could be used for publicity purposes back home projecting an image of a caring PM who took time off from his busy schedule to be with the rescue team in the epicentre of the earthquake area itself.
The press corps in the entourage would take care of that aspect of the trip probably closely supervised by the PM's press secretary himself.
Many papers and news media did carry photos and footage of Anwar posing and looking directly into the camera in the disaster area the following day gaining publicity mileage among the ordinary people who are in awe of a wonderful and caring PMX at the epicentre of the earthquake so far away from home! Applause, applause!
Anwar flew directly to Turkey landing at Gaziantep a city closest to the epicentre of the earthquake. He visited with our rescue staff and had a few photo opportunities with them on site, for the folks at home.
There is also a YouTube video that captured Anwar visiting with our rescue staff.
Anwar then flew off to Ankara to meet Erdogan and convey his condolences and sympathies for and on behalf of the people of Malaysia and made a U turn back to KL on 15 February to be on time for Parliament the next day.
Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur on 15 February, the day Anwar was at the epicenter in Gaziantep, Muhyiddin delivered his speech as scheduled a month ago, long before Anwar received a phone call from Erdogan two days earlier for him to hurry to Turkiye. Yet Anwar as a PM took off giving priority to Erdogan even when Parliament is in session.
That prompted commentators like RPK to ask what is so important for Anwar to be in Turkiye when he is more needed in Parliament?
Addressing an empty chair where the PM usually seats, Muhyiddin commented, “I also noticed that this government is in quite an awkward position, it is witch-hunting. They keep looking for wrongdoings by the previous administration that do not exist. Spreading words as if I have misappropriated RM600 billion, who said it? The PM said it! After that he changed it, saying it was RM530 billion, then RM90 billion, then RM4.5 billion, then RM300 million,” he said, prompting laughter from the Opposition bloc. (TEM)
But Anwar was not in the assembly to hear the comments and laughter that followed.
“What is this? It was the PM, Tambun [Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim] said it! From a legal point of view, this is defamation, I didn’t take any legal action yet, I pity him...!"
On the 16 February 24 hours after Muhyiddin spoke Anwar was back in Parliament. This time Muhyiddin was missing from his seat in the Opposition bloc. It's tit for tat, I supposed.
Does Anwar love Erdogan more and Muhyiddin less? Perhaps!
However, it's clear there's no love lost between Anwar and Muhyiddin!
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
