Mahathir: Resolve issue of floods in non-partisan manner
Predeep Nambiar | November 8, 2017
FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
Former PM urges all parties to stop politicising the flood disaster in Penang as voters can judge for themselves how things are being handled.
GEORGE TOWN: Natural disasters, such as floods, should not be used as fodder for political blame games, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
He said a natural disaster like the floods in Penang was a “citizens’ problem” and should be resolved in a non-partisan manner.
Mahathir said the call by Prime Minister Najib Razak not to politicise the flood issue was “very good” and the right thing to do.
“Not politicising this flood issue is a very good thing. This not only affects the Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) government but everybody.
“This should be treated as a citizens’ problem. So no references should be made to the political parties concerned and no blaming this and that government.
“That, ideally, should be the attitude of everybody, both citizens and the government,” the PH chairman told reporters at the Penang International Airport’s VIP lounge today.
Present was Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
When asked his thoughts about voters’ sentiment after the disaster, Mahathir said the people were free to arrive at their own conclusions.
“Voters will have their own analysis. They might want to blame certain people, such as the federal government or the state government. It is up to them.
“They are free to think whatever they like. But political parties should not politicise this issue,” he said.
Mahathir, who was on a half-day visit to Penang, visited six flood-affected areas on the island and the mainland with the flood relief squad of his party PPBM, in tow.
He left Penang for Subang later this evening.
Former PM urges all parties to stop politicising the flood disaster in Penang as voters can judge for themselves how things are being handled.
GEORGE TOWN: Natural disasters, such as floods, should not be used as fodder for political blame games, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
He said a natural disaster like the floods in Penang was a “citizens’ problem” and should be resolved in a non-partisan manner.
Mahathir said the call by Prime Minister Najib Razak not to politicise the flood issue was “very good” and the right thing to do.
“Not politicising this flood issue is a very good thing. This not only affects the Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) government but everybody.
“This should be treated as a citizens’ problem. So no references should be made to the political parties concerned and no blaming this and that government.
“That, ideally, should be the attitude of everybody, both citizens and the government,” the PH chairman told reporters at the Penang International Airport’s VIP lounge today.
Present was Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
When asked his thoughts about voters’ sentiment after the disaster, Mahathir said the people were free to arrive at their own conclusions.
“Voters will have their own analysis. They might want to blame certain people, such as the federal government or the state government. It is up to them.
“They are free to think whatever they like. But political parties should not politicise this issue,” he said.
Mahathir, who was on a half-day visit to Penang, visited six flood-affected areas on the island and the mainland with the flood relief squad of his party PPBM, in tow.
He left Penang for Subang later this evening.
