Government is making a ’concerted attempt to anger and stress out’ the people of Trinidad and Tobago, Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal said yesterday.

He said when one looked at some of the decisions taken, ’Government was straining this country, and the elasticity and patience of this population could burst at any time when you think of the (national) flag, the concert hall, the Bailey Bridge (death), the insensitivity and incompetence of the police in raiding the Hyatt hotel where a diplomat who was allowed to enter the airport, was met by government officials, only to be searched at the Hyatt’.

He called on Government to apologise to the Muslim community for the incident involving Saudi Arabian diplomat Fawaz Abdul Alshubaili.

He added it was under the United National Congress that an agreement was struck so Muslims wanting to go to the holy city for Hajj did not have to pay to go Caracas or the US for visas but had an official come here to issue visas for the convenience of the pilgrims.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on the Metrology Amendment bill, Moonilal said Government should fly the flag at half mast ’as a permanent symbol of the waste and corruption’.

He said it was obscene that Government spent $2 million on the national flag which is hoisted at the Hasely Crawford Stadium while complaining that it did not have money to provide basic services like water.

’You know of the straw that broke the camel’s back, well that this is a flag pole that would break the camel’s back,’ he said.

Stating that Government was also testing the population with its incompetence, Moonilal said three persons had lost their lives on the Bailey Bridge because the Minister of Works could not build a permanent bridge there.

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’And he (the minister) had the audacity and insensitivity to tell the person who dead that he must pay for the (repairs to the) bridge,’ Moonilal said.

’For two years, you cannot put a proper bridge there, which would lead to the loss of life,’ he added.

Moonilal said while Works Minister Colm Imbert knew ’overnight’ how much it would cost to repair the damaged bridge, he was not sure how much the concert hall at the prime minister’s official residence would cost.

He also called on Government to investigate the $1 billion cost overrun at the Petrotrin optimisation project.

He also slammed the Government for allowing the State company not to pay Trinidad and Tobago captain Darren Ganga a salary for six weeks.

Saying Sport Minister Gary Hunt did not reveal this fact when he gave his statement on how much Government appreciated the work and success of the cricket team, Moonilal said he knew Government ministers would be going to the President’s House today to sip champagne and ’wolf down shrimp’, toasting the success of the team while not giving tangible support.