YOURSAY 'Now it is government aid for the disabled, soon it will be hospitals, roads and schools from which opposition supporters will be barred.'

Mong defends cutting aid to pro-opposition disabled man

Not Confused: "As a man of principle, I am not going to back out. We cannot continue to give welfare assistance and subsidies because he is a strong opposition supporter," said Sarawak assistant agriculture minister Mong Dagang.

What absolute, disgraceful attitude by an elected representative of the rakyat. I just cannot believe what I am reading.

So only BN supporters qualify for financial assistance, is that right, Mong? By the same token then, opposition supporters should not pay their taxes or assessment or any other kind of tax to BN.

I think it's time you were thrown out of the state assembly, taken aside and given some education about what democracy is all about, because clearly, you haven't got a clue.

Aquinas Says: This sordid episode is not surprising. We've always known that this government will penalise any person or section of society for voting against them.

It does not matter whether the person is rich or poor, able bodied or handicapped. Shame on BN.

Nicole: So what Mong is saying is that anyone who is supporting the opposition cannot enjoy the wealth of the nation. This will mean that all Malaysians who support the opposition are also exempted from paying income tax.

Mong, please talk some sense, you are elected to look after the rakyat, not the BN supporters.

Anonymous: His Dec 8, 2011 letter says it all. The reason for the stopping of the welfare aid is clear, period.

Mong, please do not beat about the bush. It is the rakyat's money you are distributing, not the ruling party's.

You have just shown your true colours. Please be fair in your administration and dispensation of our money. The recipient's affiliation should not and never be a criteria for the aid.

Lim Chong Leong: Now it is government aid for the disabled, soon it will be hospitals, roads and schools from which opposition supporters will be barred.

As it is, we do not have proper services from our police force. Kick them out now and reclaim your rights. ABU (Anything but Umno).

Voteforchange: The money doesn't belong to BN. It belongs to the people. Mong is less than a man to withhold assistance to those who need it. He is inhuman in that he doesn't show basic humanity traits of compassion.

He goes out of his way to throw sand into an OKU's (disabled person's) rice bowl and he is proud that he did it. Will he now requests the police and army to shoot all opposition supporters and instruct BN members to steal their property too?

Remember, when you see such things, punish the perpertrator by punishing his party. Stop Lynas, Save Malaysia. Stop BN, Change Malaysia.

T: Mong needs to understand that it's the people's money, not money from his own personal piggy bank.

Unfortunately, since this concept is difficult to grasp even for top BN leaders, I sincerely doubt whether he will eventually get it. The best way is to teach him a lesson through the ballot box.

Seeker99: The village chief took down the opposition flag. This simply means that all the village chiefs in most part of the remote areas in Sabah and Sarawak have been bought by BN and the villagers are threatened to vote only BN or otherwise their livelihood would be disturbed by the chiefs.

This need to be addressed immediately if Pakatan Rakyat wants to win in these two states.

Fredtan: This is an abuse of power. Anwar Ibrahim was jailed for (using the word of attorney-general) corruption when he was accused of using the police to investigate the allegations made against him.

Where is MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission)? Nobody lodged any complaint? You can get your officers to do so as you had done many times without prompting - of course, it always happened when opposition leaders are involved.

Kgen: This is shocking coming from an assistant minister. His instruction is morally indefensible and illegal.

This is a person who doesn't know right from wrong - morally or legally. He is unfit to hold any public office.

Chandra Palasingam: If I were to have a heart attack, do I have to show my political affiliation before I can be saved. Can I tattoo BN on my chest?

BN leaders chide Mong over aid denied

ONG: Mong was completely off the mark when he issued his official instruction to cut off aid to someone solely because the aid recipient is an opposition supporter.

His subsequent public defence, instead of retraction of his earlier instruction, has made his behaviour absolutely inexcusable. He deserves no second chance.

BN can now easily prove its sincerity that it does not condone what Mong has done, and which Mong continued to defend, by sacking Mong from his assistant minister post, even if he now agrees to apologise and retract his earlier instruction to cut off the farm aid to disabled farmer Frusis Lebi.

Malaysian Born: Well, as long as the money is from Mong's personal funds, he is entirely within his rights to be as selective and subjective as he likes in the way it is distributed.

If the funds come from taxpayers, then its distribution cannot by definition be subject to political affiliations.

Taxes are collected based on citizenship, residence and income, there is no reference or relevance for political affiliation to be considered.

If they are distributed in a subjective manner than this is called abuse and actually action could be taken against the civil servants involved.

It is perfectly okay for a politician to issue instructions, and these may be against the rules, and it is up to the civil servant to inform the politician that it cannot be done.

This is what a system of checks and balances is all about.

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