Sarawak DAP today demanded to know why the federal welfare aid fund for the month of September has not been paid into the accounts of 54,000 hardcore poor in Sarawak.

NONE"We want the department concerned, or the State Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Fatimah Abdullah or the Federal Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Rohani Abdul Karim to explain the delay.

"It is bad enough that the delay occurred in September, when prices of goods, drinks and food started to rise after the fuel price hike," Sarawak DAP organising secretary Violet Yong said (right) today.

"The question is, why the delay in dispersing the money to these people who are the hardcore poor, the majority of them being dependent solely on this welfare assistance.

"Fatimah admitted there was a delay, but she did not explain the reason," Yong said.

"Is it because the money has been channelled for other uses? Or are the country's coffers drying up?" she asked, describing the delay as is a serious matter as the funds, from taxpayers' monies, have been budgeted for.

Several complaints received

Yong said that for this year, the government allocated RM130 million and the money should be dispersed into the recipients' accounts in the first week of every month.

"So far the government has spent RM99 million on three categories of recipients - the handicapped people, elderly citizens and children," she said.

Yong, who is the Pending assemblyperson, said she received several complaints from aid recipients in her constituency.

"While the elderly people received their money two weeks later, the handicapped and the children are yet to receive theirs.

"I was given to understand this morning that the money has just arrived, but it will take some time before the recipients can receive it," she said, pointing out that this was not the first time the disbursement of the fund for the hardcore poor has been delayed.

It occurred in August and September last year, she added.