They said Cabinet ministers, particularly, should focus on policymaking and programme planning and leave work on the ground to others, such as firemen, policemen and technical personnel.
Azmi Hassan, a former Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer, said ministers and other political leaders should “not insult the people’s intelligence” with publicity stunts.
He told FMT that special officers to ministers were apparently not doing their work to ensure their bosses were seen in a good light.
For instance, he said, the special officers to women, family and community development minister Rina Harun should have known that their boss would be roasted on social media for pretending to clean a drain.
Rina was criticised for using a water jet to spray an already clean drain along a corridor of SK Salak at Salak Tinggi while being surrounded by photographers and government officials. A video recording of the scene went viral.
Social media users also took a dig at Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s “shovel stunt” during a clean-up at a flood-hit area.
Azmi urged ministers to concentrate on policy measures to ensure the people’s welfare was looked after during a crisis.
Political communication expert Syed Arabi Idid said it would be wiser for political leaders to appear alone at a flood-hit area to learn of the needs of victims. It would help build trust between them and the public.
“They should clean up with their hands and sleep overnight in the houses. That would give them real experience,” he told FMT.
He chastised ministers for hindering the work of technical teams by taking along fleets of photographers on their visits to flood-hit areas.
“Policymakers should stay behind and not be involved at the operational level,” he said.
Universiti Malaya lecturer Awang Azman Pawi said politicians were hoping to improve their battered image after being criticised by flood victims for the slowness of rescue efforts.
“They are trying to make some effort, but this is seen as a gimmick, causing people to be angrier,” he said.
News reports have said some flood victims had to wait for up to two days on their roofs or their upper floors to be rescued on Dec 18 and 19 when floods struck parts of the Klang Valley, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan.