IT’S hypocritical to question the opposition when ministers were missing in action during the flood disaster last month, Anwar Ibrahim said.

“Some ministers had to be told to come back from overseas,” the opposition leader said in Parliament today.

Anwar, who is Port Dickson MP, was responding to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Bera-BN) who took a jibe at opposition MPs who were not in their constituencies during the flood disaster in Selangor last month.

“While people were dying and houses were getting swept away, some ministers were performing their umrah.

“Even if they were away before that, they should come back immediately to carry out their responsibility as ministers. It’s all about priorities,” Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, said.

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.

“I have been deluged with questions about our ministers. So, if they are on leave and planning to go on holiday, I want them to cancel those plans.

“If they are currently abroad, return immediately!” said Ismail.

Among the ministers who were abroad during the floods were Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu who was in Dubai with his sons.

Ahmad Faizal was believed to have left the country after launching the ministry’s flood aid volunteer squad on December 20, while Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was performing his umrah in Saudi Arabia.

Other known ministers who were abroad at the time included Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah who was attending an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Pakistan.

Parliament is holding a special sitting today to discuss the government’s response and actions during the worst floods that have affected Malaysia last month, culminating in 55 deaths and damage in the hundreds of millions ringgit. – January 20, 2022.