Tenang: we want KFC too.

It has been raining the past few days. All over Johor it seems. Labis and Segamat are also affected. Lembah Bakti area is particularly affected. These areas would have earned cursory mentions during normal times. Flooded areas are flooded areas. Houses get flooded, physical communications get cut off, food supplies are difficult to reach for.

But these are not normal times. These areas happen to be in Segamat where a by election is going on. Two contestants and their parties are locked in combat. The floods, during normal times would be regarded just a natural calamity now become a battle ground to show who is more caring. Or who can pretend more and who catches the attention of the media more.

As a person who has been in the thick of floods and who actually went on small fiber glass boats into deep waters so to speak, who had to physically carry the boat on our shoulders- let me tell you a bit about the psychology of flood victims and their expectations.

What do you need during floods? You need most of all relief help- food, medicine, money, whatever kind of help. If houses get flooded, victims are evacuated and transported to flood relief centers.

During these times, flood victims become a totally dependent lot. At relief centers, they wait for the food to be cooked, they wait for the food to be served and all their needs attended to by relief workers. They become an easily irritable pampered lot.

When they become these, they assumed a different personality. They become easily irritable, short-tempered, and quick to attach blame to no one and anyone. If relief help comes late- authorities are to be blamed. If they don't see the faces of the YBs, these are the people they blamed. They also expect, as victims of the flood, to be compensated for their losses. Fully and more I may add.

Although everyone knows, flooding is a natural disaster, victims expect nothing less, but complete restitution for their losses. Properties damaged, animals lost, crops damaged and so on so forth.

The two potential YBs will become very conscious of these facts. They will now understand the meaning of the words responsibility and the feeling of haplessness, dependence and everything in the world sucks. They will understand, a lot more than just sitting pretty manning relief centers administering the distribution of food items.

I know of one person who later became a YB who bragged about sleeping at the central command, administering the distribution of food items. In between times he would play serious poker and gamble. The actual YB was on his daily and sometimes nightly rounds, physically visiting flood victims, distributing food supplies which he bought with his own resources.

The point I am making is, the floods present an opportunity for the potential YBs to show the world who care more for the people. It's also an opportunity to do some serious playacting. Its more important to show you are doing something than actually doing it.

Wading through flood waters become a publicized public spectacle. Actually you have done nothing other than getting wet and pretending getting so, to show your dedication and caring for the victims.

The flood victims will dismiss such antics as nothing more than play acting and conferring future bragging rights. Victims are more interested to see whether their daily needs are attended to, they are pampered at relief centers; they are more interested to eat not just the daily rations of sardines cop ayam. The victims at Tenang want to eat KFC too. They expect to be completely compensated for their losses too later.

In short, both the potential YBs can make a public spectacle of braving the floods, wading waters, getting wet and so forth. Flood victims ignore these, they just want help. Who does better or pretend they care more will earn their gratitude and perhaps votes.

In the meantime, please pass the KFC.Dont matter none if the KFC boxes have the dacing symbol or the moon symbol.