Villagers from an area in Penang's Tanjung Tokong - where Sunday's deadly tsunami hit - were riled up Thursday evening, after the premier's visit, eager to voice up their discontentment with authorities and their government liaison person.

The villagers claim that their Kg Keling is being subjected to discrimination and corruption. Despite losing property and experiencing distress from the tsunami's after-effects, a majority of the villagers are angry at being marginalised.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited the village, which has been previously dubbed by authorities as a 'gangster village', at about 6pm yesterday and was mobbed by a number of irate villages.

One particular resident from the coastal village, Mansor Hussain, called-out at the premier to inspect his damaged home.

When malaysiakini inquired what Mansor had whispered to the premier - who was being guided by the village head - he said he told the prime minister that there had been many in the village who were being hard-done by.

"I have yet to get a single sen despite registering (with government bodies). My family has lost property worth up to RM8,000 because our house was flooded by the waves," he said.

He added that he had laid out the damaged goods to show prove but it had been cleared by the city council in anticipation of Abdullah's visit.

Mansor ( photo ) also said that many other villagers have been further victimised by the authorities' biases and the village head's nepotism practises.

The village is part of the Tanjong Tokong Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) but numerous criticisms were levied against the body by about 20-odd villagers speaking to malaysiakini .

Good Samaritans

The villagers lambasted the government for its delay in handing out aid. They instead were deeply touched and grateful to the Buddhist Tzu Chi Merit Society Malaysia - who on the day after the disaster and till today - are distributing food, clothes, money and providing moral support to the villagers.

A group of Hindu devotees from the Hari Krishna movement also have delivered supplies to the village.

Many said they have yet to receive the monies promised by the government while some admitted to having received RM500 from the Welfare Department.

Yesterday the government said it was channelling funds to victims in three stages.

Another villager, Razalina Rahim lashed out the government representatives in the area for not coming to their aid sooner.

"There was nothing (from them) for the first three days!," she said.

Azli Osman said it took constant urging and a newspaper report for the prime minister to visit the village after it was left-out during the deputy prime minister's visit to the island's effected areas.

The villagers however were thankful to the premier for his visit, five days after the country's worst ever natural disaster , and show of concern.

Own initiative

Meanwhile, a food distribution centre has been set-up by the villagers - on their own accord -after the JKKK's failure to do so.

"When the PM visited the tent, I told him it was us - the victims - who set this up not the JKKK whose leader tried to claim fame by lying about it to the premier," said boisterous villager Abdul Wahab Mydin.

The make-shift centre outside a villager's house is where food and other donations - by villagers who were lucky enough to save these items and from outsiders - are placed and equally distributed by a group of 'progressive' individuals that have lost faith in the leaders.

The villagers claim that despite being supportive of the Barisan Nasional government, they have often been ostracised and victimised by the very same powers they voted in.

This they add could be because they are a very 'outspoken' village.