Young Syefura slams Nazri over ‘volunteer tourism’ idea

KUANTAN - Ketari assemblyman Young Syefura Othman has criticised former tourism and culture minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz’s suggestion that floods that hit the country every year could be a tourist attraction.

She chided the Padang Rengas MP’s lack of empathy and insensitivity for voicing out such views to be considered by the government.

“Where is the sense of sympathy to the predicament of the victims? It is as if we were to celebrate their misfortune.

"I support out-of-the-box ideas by anyone that can help with the country’s development, but I think such an idea is far from the reality of what Malaysians have to go through,” she said in a statement on Sunday.

She was referring to Nazri's statement that the floods that hit the country every year could be an opportunity for “volunteer tourism”.

Syefura said her constituency was among the worst affected areas by the floods on Dec 17, last year, particularly Janda Baik which has many tourist spots.

“Janda Baik was the worst affected area. It was also the first area where the flood occurred before it spread to other areas in Bentong.

"Until now, the infrastructure such as bridges and roads at tourist destinations in Janda Baik in particular have not been repaired by the state government, ministries, departments and relevant agencies," she said.

She also pointed out that the post-flood situation, especially a few days after the disaster required many volunteers to assist victims with the clean-up work.

In this regard, she called for the relevant parties to visit Ketari to listen to the plight of the flood victims.

“I would also like to invite the parties to have a dialogue with all the flood victims about the trauma they had faced as flood victims.

“Perhaps this way, leaders whose hearts are deaf and blind could better understand the feelings of the people who are still struggling to continue their lives after their properties were damaged and swept away by the floods," she said.