After a self-proclaimed mini-slump, seems like Jeff Ooi is back on fire.
I have very strong beliefs against exploiting the floods for political purposes, but it does seem true that many Ministers, Wakil Rakyat and Councillors did not seem very proactive in flood relief efforts. I don’t know what they did behind the scenes, but these are the ones that should be at the forefronts, appealling for aid and so on.
Jeff and gang did some good research on where the Johor representatives/ministers and others were during the floods and the aftermath – have a look.
Just as importantly, I learnt from the post that the big ass RM 500 mil announced in aid to businesses is not in fact aid, but loans. Can you imagine?? We decry Ah Longs for preying on the vulnerable, and here we are making 2.5% (low? maybe, but not if you’re business has been destroyed) off people who’ve suffered more than we can imagine (check out the pics in the blog too!). This is like playing loan shark to tsunami victims >:(
A contrast was also made between this strings-attached allocation for flood victims (being perhaps one of the most representative cross-sections of Malaysian society available) and the RM 600 mil allocation made specifically and exclusively for bumiputera contractors everywhere in the country (except where it’s needed most – one of it’s least developed states, Sarawak).
I dunno YAB, that leaves a pretty sour taste in my mouth…
The latest in his on-going series on the tolls also deserves a look. If I manage to pursue the toll matter further and try to examine the unexamined, those posts will definitely serve as a guide.
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Anwar on Najib? I’m waiting for a Malaysiakini article to be published – watch this space…
Update 2.50pm: Here’s the article! Guess I’ll put in a little post of its own..
