KUALA LUMPUR: Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan delivered a colourful defence in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 25) after being accused of abandoning his constituency during the floods, quipping that although he did sing karaoke in Sabah, he was still on the ground helping residents as soon as the waters rose.
Responding to what he called “malicious lies” spread by political rivals, Mohd Sany, who is from Amanah, said claims that he was missing in action during Monday’s (Nov 24) floods were completely untrue.
“I was accused of not visiting Hulu Langat when the floods hit, and instead running off to campaign elsewhere.
“Some even claimed I was happily karaoke-ing. Let me say it clearly - yes, I did go to Sabah on Nov 22. Yes, I did sing. But it was because the voters there asked me to,” he told a press conference in Parliament.
He explained that during campaigning in Sulabayan, voters teased him about his supposedly good singing voice.
“‘YB, nyanyilah satu lagu,’ they told me. So I sang (Datuk) Jamal Abdillah’s ‘Derita Cinta’.
“I performed in front of the crowd, not crooning to someone’s daughter at 2 or 3 in the morning,” said.
Mohd Sany said the allegations were made despite the floods in Hulu Langat breaking out only on Nov 24.
He said he returned the same day, landing at KL International Airport (KLIA) at around 1.30pm before heading straight to Parliament briefly, and then to the flood zone.
“Yesterday itself, I visited PPS Batu 10, Kampung Sungai Serai, Taman Sri Nanding and Kampung Dusun Nanding.
“I met SPM candidates, checked on families and elderly folk, and ensured aid reached those who needed it,” he said.
He added that he continued his rounds this morning, visiting SMK Abdul Jalil, SMK Dusun Nanding and the PPS at Sekolah Rendah Agama Dusun Nanding.
Mohd Sany said he has consistently raised flood-mitigation issues in Parliament, including delays in long-standing projects.
“Alhamdulillah, the government has approved nearly RM500mil for flood-mitigation works, including RTB Sungai Langat, RTB Hulu Langat and several key projects crucial for our future,” he said.
He stressed that floods should never be turned into political ammunition.
“Floods don't care which party governs an area. When disaster strikes, everyone suffers the same. What we need is cooperation, not slander.
“I urge all parties to practise civil politics. When the rakyat are facing hardship, slander does not help. It only makes matters worse,” he said, before wrapping up the media conference with a brief live rendition of ‘Derita Cinta’.
