SHAH ALAM, October 2 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) Youth Chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal today labelled Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a “lunatic” and “anti-science” person for continuously calling for the 15th general election (GE15) to be held soon despite the monsoon season warning.
The Deputy Minister of National Unity took a swipe at Umno calling some of the party’s leaders as lunatics.
“I want to tell all the voters out there. This Umno is mad. They know how hard the flood is, they still want to press the government to dissolve the Parliament, right? But the lunatic ones are just a few in that. Among them, the president who is a lunatic.
“He is mad and he is also anti-science, because the environment minister (Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man), our Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim said that the meteorological department already said that when November comes, there will be a monsoon transition and like the previous year, the flood that hit our country is not the same like in the previous years.
“This is the era of climate change. Whoever does not understand scientific knowledge, they are surely stupid when it comes to understanding the flood this time around. Huge flood which is burdensome to Malaysians,” he said in his speech.
He said Bersatu, together with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition it is part of, would not hesitate to go against those who cause trouble for the people.
Wan Fayhsal was speaking at the launch of Selangor Bersatu’s divisional meetings and the party’s state election machinery here.
In her speech earlier, Bersatu’s Srikandi Wing chief, Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun also chastised those pushing for GE15 to be held soonest, adding that it would affect the efforts of the government which has already gazetted many schools as flood relief centres.
“If it’s possible, they want it to be held either yesterday or the day before even. But ladies and gentlemen, we have to be rational in the current situation. As the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, 6,010 temporary flood evacuation centres have been identified for flood victims, nationwide.
“Imagine, the 6,010 temporary flood evacuation centres which are made up of schools, community halls, halls. At the same time, these schools are made into voting centres. District voting centres whereby voting too has to be done in schools. So, which one is it? Should we make it into temporary flood evacuation centres for flood victims or make it into places for us to cast our votes? Please comment,” she said, adding that while Bersatu is not afraid of the polls, it has to think of the plight of those who will be affected by the floods.
Last month, Ahmad Zahid said the GE15 should be held immediately if the Opposition is worried about the polls coinciding with year-end floods.
Ahmad Zahid said the concerns expressed by Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rivals were just the latest in a litany of excuses designed to mask their real fear of being rejected by voters at the ballot box.
Thus, he said the “concerns” of BN’s rivals about the floods were not a “new excuse” but instead a bid to save their political careers.
In the same post, Ahmad Zahid said his remarks during the launch of the BN Youth machinery in Kuala Lumpur, on the coalition being ready to brave the floods for GE15 had been taken out of context by political opponents.
He explained that his comments were meant to convey to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the BN machinery was ready for GE15, regardless of the situation and challenges.
