He was also upset that delegates to the Umno general assembly laughed when Najib said this, instead of feeling sorry for those who had suffered in the Nov 5 floods.
Ramkarpal said in a statement that many Penang residents had been happy to see Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi hugging the Penang chief minister upon his arrival in Penang and that the picture of them hugging had gone viral.
“Never in their wildest dreams did they think that their plight would be used as fodder at some Umno function so soon after for political mileage.
“It is most unfortunate that a disaster has been manipulated to suit the political needs of individuals in utter disregard of its victims. Najib’s remark was certainly uncalled for and is not merely an insult to the chief minister but, indeed, to all Penangites.”
He said the ongoing Umno general assembly had turned out to be an explosive forum “laced with all sorts of unfounded allegations” against Pakatan Harapan and those seen aligned to it, no matter how remote.
“Even singing legend, Datuk Sheila Majid has not been spared and it won’t be surprising at all if she is next falsely accused of aspiring to stand as a DAP candidate in the next general election, having had the audacity to raise very valid and genuine concerns about the mess this country currently finds itself in under this mighty government.”
Ramkarpal said “the most disgusting of attacks at the assembly so far” must be that of the prime minister when he “condescendingly” said Guan Eng was “almost in tears begging” Zahid for federal government aid after Penang was hit by severe floods on Nov 5.
“So what if the chief minister was nearly in tears when he requested such aid? Does this not show his genuine concern for the people of Penang at that most dire of moments?
“The prime minister’s insensitive remark further fuels speculation that the government was not genuine in helping Penangites in one of the worst disasters the state has ever seen but, instead, had some ulterior motive in doing so.
“It was said as if we Penangites had to beg him for assistance and, somehow, this was so amusing that everyone in that hall, who heard him spew such venom, actually laughed it off!”
The DAP leader told Najib the Nov 5 Penang floods were not “something to be politicised or laughed about”.
To this day, he added, people were still recovering from damage to their property while many were barely coming to terms with the huge financial losses they had suffered.
Ramkarpal reminded Najib that it was the duty of the federal government to come to the aid of all states in times of crisis, regardless of whether they were under the opposition or not.