Sungai Pelek rep files MACC report over food aid issue
After complaints by opposition MPs concerning food aid to the poor, DAP Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu has filed a report with the MACC against the Social Welfare Department.
When contacted, Liu said he filed the report at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya this morning...
After complaints by opposition MPs concerning food aid to the poor, DAP Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu has filed a report with the MACC against the Social Welfare Department.
When contacted, Liu said he filed the report at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya this morning.
"Many opposition MPs complained that they have yet to receive the food aid from the Social Welfare Department.
"The distribution should be done properly. This is important as the food packs are for the poor, the elderly and single mothers," he said.
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government had allocated 1,000 food packs for each parliamentary constituency. They are for the B40 group to ease their burden during the movement control order (MCO).
However, Liu claimed that many MPs have yet to receive the food packs.
"Where are the 1,000 food packs for each parliamentary constituency?" he said.
Each food pack costs below RM100
Liu also urged the MACC to probe if there was a leakage involving the funds for the food aid as there were complaints by MPs that each food pack did not cost RM100 as claimed.
"The basket that is said to cost RM100 is actually less than RM35. Why is that?
"The defence minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob) said those food packs which cost RM35 were from NGOs, not the ministry.
"Please name that NGO, the number of the packs and the value," he said.
Liu also said that the distribution of the food packs did not follow the set guidelines, as the Civil Defence Force (APM) and the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) should cooperate and manage with MPs to distribute the food packs.
Malaysiakini has contacted the MACC for confirmation on the report.
'Food packs are given to PN parties'
Separately, Labis MP Pang Hok Liong (photo) and Sekijang MP Natrah Ismail have also lodged a MACC report over the food packs.
Pang, in a statement, said the government had promised 1,000 food packs would be delivered to his service centre and requested a list of names of families who are in need of help.
However, he said the delivery never arrived and the Labis and Segamat Welfare Department pushed the ball to each other.
"On April 24, it came to my attention that the Segamat Welfare Department had already given away the 1,000 food baskets reserved for me, to PN component parties instead.
"I have reasons to believe that the 1,000 food baskets meant for Labis had either been unlawfully given by the Segamat Welfare department to PN component parties or had been hijacked by PN component parties with blessings from some top politicians," he said.
Pang said he and Natrah lodged a MACC report yesterday.
"I urge the MACC to thoroughly investigate Natrah’s and my complaint as the Welfare, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun has on the April 22, promised to investigate MPs’ complaints.
"I hope the minister would come clean with her investigation," he said.
Rasah MP Cha Kee Chin (photo) was among MPs who complained that the value of the food pack he received was worth only RM35 each.
Subsequently, more MPs vented their frustrations with the food aid.
Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said that he was made to understand that 10 percent of the RM100 value of each food pack was deducted to pay for packaging and transportation costs.
He stressed that it was improper to make such deductions from the value of the food packs.
It was reported that the only opposition-held constituency to receive its full quota of 1,000 food packs was Langkawi, which is represented by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Kangar, held by Noor Amin Ahmad of Pakatan Harapan and Kubang Pasu, held by Amiruddin Hamzah of Bersatu, had received 900 hampers each.
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