NAJIB BRINGS CHEER TO PENANG FOLK
Prime minister consoles elderly woman who lost all her belongings
FLOOD victims who had been experiencing untold misery after being forced to flee from their homes, temporarily forgot their troubles when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak paid them a visit at evacuation centres in Central Seberang Prai and the land office here yesterday.
Many took the opportunity to snap selfies with Najib, who turned up at 11.30am.
He was seen consoling a victim, Low Saw Kam, 75, who lost all her belongings in the floods.
Low said she was thankful to Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, for visiting her and other flood victims.
Another victim, who wished to be known only as Azilawati, 37, said it was her month-old baby Muhammad Nur Iskandar’s lucky day as Rosmah held him in her arms.
“I was happy to meet the prime minister and his wife, and I was excited when she held my baby in her arms.”
Earlier, Najib spent 40 minutes in the office where Penang State Secretary Datuk Seri Farizan Darus and the state’s Drainage and Irrigation director Sabri Abd Mulok briefed him on the flood situation in the state.
Present were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Umno welfare bureau chairman Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, state Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
In Permatang Pauh, victim Hasnah Lajim was awestruck at meeting Najib and Rosmah.
The 71-year-old from Tanjung Putus was seen grinning after meeting Najib, who visited the village’s surau as part of his visit to the flood-stricken state.
Hasnah said she was touched by Najib and his entourage, who waded through knee-high water to get to the surau and deliver aid to about 100 people who had taken shelter there.
“I was so happy that I had a chance to meet him. I was surprised that not only Najib, but other politicians, like Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, also showed up.”
The mother of six said she had been staying at the surau since the day the floods started and only planned to return home once floodwaters receded.
Najib, who arrived at noon, spent time meeting villagers and distributing aid to victims who had taken shelter at the Tanjung Putus surau following the floods.
Page 1 pic: Datuk Seri Najib Razak consoling flood victim Low Saw Kam (right) at a flood evacuation centre in Bukit Mertajam yesterday.