Malaysian PM Under Fire for Playing Golf with Barack Obama as Severe Flooding Forces More Than 160,000 People to Flee Their Homes
- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak comes under fire for golfing with Obama while his country battles floods
- Five people have been killed and 160,000 forced to abandon their homes in the country's worst-ever flooding
- Najib has now cut short his Hawaiian vacation by six days so he can co-ordinate Malaysian emergency response
Daily Mail UK, 27 December 2014
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak has cut short his vacation to the U.S. due to public outrage over pictures emerged showing him playing golf with President Barack Obama as more than 160,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Malaysia's worst-ever flooding.
Despite cutting short his holiday, anger among those affected by the flooding has not eased amid accusations the government has been far too slow in responding to the crisis.
Both vacationing this week in Oahu, Hawaii, Obama and Najib teed off on Wednesday on a cloudy but balmy afternoon at a Marine Corps base, not far from where Obama is renting a home for his two-week stay.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak (right) surveys the lay of the green as he and U.S. President Barack Obama close out a hole
An aerial view of the flooded streets of the national park in Kuala Tahan, in the country's Pahang district
Torrential downpours have led to the country's worst ever flooding. Pictured is Pahang from the heights of an emergency services helicopter
Obama considers a putt during the friendly game of golf with Najib, at a course on a Marine base in Hawaii
Najib (pictured) has been criticized for holidaying while more than 160,000 people in Malaysia were forced to flee their homes due to flooding
The two leaders appeared at ease together, smiling and laughing in casual clothes as they sized up their shots.
'The president and Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia enjoyed golf together today,' a White House official said. 'The two leaders took the opportunity to discuss the growing and warming relationship between the United States and Malaysia.'
Authorities have evacuated numerous villages and towns in five Malaysian states that were inundated following unusually strong torrential rains. The majority of these are now seeking shelter in schools, community halls and other relief centers, according to flood monitoring centers.
Najib's Facebook page, meanwhile, was inundated with messages urging him to return home as the flooding worsened.
He has now returned, cutting short his holiday by six days in an attempt to quell the growing public indignation and oversee the flooding response.
A group of volunteers help carry a man on a stretcher to a helicopter after he is dragged from the flood waters
A local makes his way to his house which sits almost halfway submerged in floodwaters in Pengkalan Chepa, near Kota Bharu
Najib has now cut short his Hawaiian holiday by six days and returned to Malaysia, where he announced additional funds in aid
U.S. President Barack Obama shares a joke with reporters who are working in Hawaii to report on his holiday
Even on holiday, he said he was in constant touch with disaster and relief officials, who were doing all they can to help victims.
'I am deeply concerned by the floods. I feel for the people who have lost their homes, and the families who have lost loved ones,' he said. 'I want to see the situation for myself and be with the people.'
Najib arrived in Kelantan, which has the biggest problems among eight affected states, following his announcement of 500 million ringgit (£91.31million) will be spent to aid victims after the flood subsides, following an initial government allocation of 50 million ringgit two days ago.
He attended briefings with the National Security Council, the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, state government and local emergency responders, a statement yesterday said.
Two young boys watch as their friends swim in the muddy floodwaters near Kota Bharu
A young couple sit waiting in a boat after their house is left submerged in the floods. More than 160,000 people have been forced to flee their homes
Locals hitch a ride on the back of trucks and a four-wheel drive as rescue teams struggle to reach the areas worst hit by the floods
Aerial Footage Shows the Scale of Malaysian Flooding 2014:Boat Rides Through Terengganu and Kelantan