Teo tells Wee to ensure smooth distribution of food for poor families in Kulai

DAP's Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching has challenged Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong to write to the Welfare Department in Kulai to ensure 422 poor families will receive food supply as originally planned.

This came after Wee took to Facebook last night to challenge Teo (above) to show proof that he had prohibited the Welfare Department from sending food to these families in Kulai.

In an immediate response, Teo uploaded a screenshot of an email dated April 9, purportedly of a welfare officer informing her that the distribution of food at the opposition constituency would be coordinated by Wee.

"Here's the evidence. Now I hope Wee too could accept my challenge by writing immediately to the department that he would not object the distribution of food to the balance of 422 families," said Teo in a Facebook post today.

Wee should tell his colleague Rina Harun, who helms the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry that the food supply distribution plan should be implemented regardless of political party affiliation, added Teo.

Teo said her service centre submitted a list of 1,027 poor families to the Welfare Department upon request on March 31. Food was distributed to 605 families between April 5 and 9 from the list provided by her service centre.

She said the latest information by the welfare officer showed the opposition has to find the means to get the supply for the balance of 422 families.

"I want to ask if Wee, as the transport minister and MCA president, has ever issued such a notice?

“If yes, why would he want to prohibit food distribution by the Welfare Department?" questioned Teo in an earlier post yesterday.

Wee, however, rebutted Teo last night and asked her to show proof.

"What nonsense. I challenge Teo to come out with proof instead of talking through her hat," said Wee.

Meanwhile, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim also complained that he did not receive the aid to be distributed.

"It’s April 10 now, 10 days have passed (since the aid was supposed to be received), where is the food aid for the people of Pasir Gudang?”

He said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should take heed of this matter and hoped that the government will not be engaged in excessive politicking especially when it concerns welfare for the poor.

In a statement today, Johor MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon (above) challenged Teo to lodge a police report together with him so that the police can probe her allegation.

Failing so, he said, Teo should admit publicly that she had lied and she should apologise to Wee.

"We don't want any official to do anything (behind our backs) nor would we tolerate a politician who is stirring things up and throwing baseless accusations," he said.

He questioned why Teo is the only one facing such a problem and none of her colleagues in the Opposition are.  

"MCA is so busy helping the constituents and cannot tolerate political tricks. If Teo cannot take good care of her constituency, she shouldn't take Wee and the Welfare Department to task over her incompetence," he said.

Ling said MCA will gladly take over and help the people in Kulai shall Teo admit that she has failed to do her job.

He reminded Teo to make good use of the RM100,000 allocation given by the Perikatan Nasional to help the people impacted by the pandemic. 

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