KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — A deputy minister’s move to post photos of him “praying” in front of potholes to get the attention of local authorities is proof that even officials do not receive special treatment, DAP said today.
DAP political secretary Kerk Chee Yee said that the antics by Datuk Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah, who is also the deputy minister of science, technology and innovation (Mosti), showed that Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders with positions may not necessarily be able to take better care of their constituents.
“Abu Bakar is both the MP for Tangga Batu and a deputy minister of Mosti. Yet his report to the district council a week ago was not even attended to. The pothole was only miraculously attended to after his posting on Facebook on his prayer performed in front of the pothole.
“It was both unbelievable and amusing first to learn that a deputy minister from Barisan Nasional was performing prayer in front of a pothole wishing to get it fixed by the local authority,” he said in a statement today.
Kerk said the incident also reflected the incompetence of both the district council and Melaka state government.
“The ruling government is supposed to provide and take care of all facilities, as well as attend to complaints by the public. Why was Abu Bakar doing the job of the Opposition, who sometimes have to assist members of the public in lodging complaints?
“Abu Bakar’s deed totally revealed the incompetence of a Barisan Nasional government,” he said.
Abu Bakar had earlier claimed that that potholes on Jalan Bukit Berlian in Bukit Rambai, Melaka were fixed within 12 hours because photos of him “praying” in front of the potholes went viral.
He said he had purposely sat in the middle of the road in a praying position because authorities had failed to fix the bad condition of the roads.
His Facebook post had garnered over 1,000 likes and was shared 214 times as of this morning.
On February 28, 2016, Abu Bakar had posted similar photos of him on the same road, including one with him sitting in one of the potholes, as he took to social media to express his disappointment over the dire condition of the road.
