PM caught in big lie over Sabah quake

Lim Kit Siang says PM did not tell the truth when he said he couldn't go to Sabah on the day of the earthquake because it was the King’s birthday.

PETALING JAYA: Since the official birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong fell on Saturday, June 6, how could Najib Razak use that as an excuse as to why he could not rush over to Sabah on Friday, the day of the 5.9 magnitude earthquake, asked Lim Kit Siang.

Calling it a lie, the DAP parliamentarian said in a statement today, “Najib would not be telling the truth if he had indeed said that he could not visit the earthquake-hit zones in Sabah on Friday because it was the birthday of the Yang di Pertuan Agong as this was not the case.”

Kit Siang made this remark based on an article in a local news portal that said the prime minister when visiting Kundasang in Sabah today, had told the people that he had intended to come over to Sabah immediately on Friday after the earthquake but was held back in Kuala Lumpur as it was the King’s birthday.

“The birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was on Saturday, June 6, 2015 and not on Friday, June 5, 2015,” Kit Siang pointed out, and asked why Najib was only informed about the earthquake in Ranau five hours after it occurred as indicated by his tweet on Friday.

He added, “As Friday was not the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s birthday, Najib has still to explain why with his new private executive jet, he could not make a lightning visit to Ranau and Kundasang”.

He also said he was disappointed that when Najib did eventually make it over to Sabah, he made no mention of any special ceremony to honour two mountain guides and two Mountain Torq trainers who perished in the tragedy while trying to save the lives of others under their care on the mountain.

“I had expected the Prime Minister to announce in his belated visit to Ranau and Kundasang a special project to honour the four for sacrificing their lives so that others could live, and it is a disappointment that this is not the case.”

The four were Robbi Sapinggi, Joseph Solugin, Valerian Joannes and Ricky Masirin.