Pundits say the reaction, mostly through social media, was only to be expected because Putrajaya is facing one of its worst trust deficits to date.

These analysts have also called for a review of the 90% grade the government gave itself in key performance indicators for its first 100 days.

Transparency International Malaysia president Muhammad Mohan said public trust in the government had eroded over the years and the floods had given people a first-hand look at how NGOs (non-governmental organisations) could reach out faster in times of need.

Speaking to FMT, he said: “They feel the government didn’t do what it was supposed to do. People were left waiting on rooftops.

“People are angry. They don’t want donations to go to the government because they won’t know where the money will go.”

On Dec 21, Cook tweeted that Apple would be contributing to the relief, recovery and long-term rebuilding efforts in Malaysia and the Philippines following the onslaught of Typhoon Rai.

Muhammad said the government machinery was not ready for the severe floods. “Floodwaters kept rising to people’s rooftops, but help from the government was slow.”

Referring to photos of politicians plastered on aid packages, he said these intensified the anger of those affected.

“It showed that politicians were more keen on publicity than in saving lives,” he said.

He also said the prime minister should have announced immediate measures to save lives instead of a RM100 million allocation for victims.

“People needed immediate help,” he said. “Some victims didn’t even know if they would survive.”

Last year, Transparency reported that 71% of Malaysians thought the government was corrupt.

Muhammad said the government should be more accountable and transparent. “If the government makes a mistake, it needs to admit it and fix it.”

Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya also said the 90% KPI rating had to be reviewed as “some ministries are clearly not up to mark”.

He said the response to the floods showed that the government had no clear disaster management SOP (standard operating procedure).

“It was a test for the ministers to visit and help the victims immediately, but some of them are still on leave abroad,” he said.

He said it was understandable that many Malaysians wanted Cook to donate to NGOs since “they were the ones who came forward to help the flood victims.”

Jayum Jawan of Universiti Putra Malaysia urged the government to appoint one agency to manage disasters.

“Why are there so many agencies when the National Security Council was set up to handle security issues,” he said.

“Everyone waited for someone else to do the job, but no one did.”