Asam pedas and 'betrayal': Ampang MP resorts to cooking after stripped of funds

What began as an effort to continue serving her constituents after losing access to constituency allocations has become a symbol of what Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail describes as a political betrayal.

Less than 24 hours after launching her asam pedas business to help fund constituency services, Rodziah said she felt "betrayed", "humiliated" and "bullied" over the decision to suspend her access to the MyKhas portal, insisting there was no basis for the move and that she had never been given a fair hearing.

The MyKhas portal manages parliamentary allocations and is overseen by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), which is under the Prime Minister's Department.

"I feel betrayed and that I have been treated (this way) without any basis.

"If I had breached party discipline, the party should tell me what offence I had committed. But I was never given a fair hearing," she told Malaysiakini today.

Rodziah previously said that if the suspension was linked to her attendance at the Parti Bersama Malaysia launch on May 17, she had already responded to PKR's disciplinary board through a letter dated June 23 after receiving a show-cause notice dated June 16.

However, she said she has yet to receive a response.

The Ampang MP also questioned the appointment of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary Azman Abidin as the constituency's parliamentary coordinator without her knowledge.

"I feel humiliated and bullied by being recognised as a government backbencher, yet having someone else decide how my constituency allocation should be spent.

"Who gave the coordinator the mandate?" she asked.

Azman had announced he would coordinate with the ICU, relevant government agencies, state assemblypersons and community leaders to ensure government assistance and initiatives reached Ampang residents.

Despite the setback, Rodziah remained determined to continue serving her constituents.

"Whatever it is, I will continue this struggle and give the best service to the constituents who elected me until the end of my term," she said.

To sustain constituency programmes, Rodziah has launched her "Projek Amal Rakyat" (People's Welfare Project), selling asam pedas from her service centre every Friday beginning at 11.30am.

Her promotional poster also includes a bank account number for donations.

Questions over allocation process

Rodziah is the third PKR lawmaker to reportedly lose access to the MyKhas portal after Subang MP Wong Chen and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung.

Yesterday, Lee questioned whether the remaining RM3 million allocated to his constituency had effectively been redirected.

This is after he received a screenshot purportedly showing Petaling Jaya PKR division chief Hee Loy Sian informing party members that ICU applications for minor projects and financial assistance could be referred to him.

Lee asked if constituency allocations remained under a transparent government mechanism or were now being administered through PKR.

"The government must explain the actual mechanism to avoid the perception that public funds have become 'party funds'.

"Therefore, the public has the right to ask whether the move to transfer the authority to manage public funds to a political party branch chief constitutes a form of 'sakau' (theft) that is now deemed acceptable," he said.

Lee also questioned why funds intended for constituents were allegedly being managed by a political party leader instead of the elected representative and whether other MPs who had lost access to MyKhas faced similar arrangements.

Malaysiakini has contacted Anwar's press officer, Hee, the ICU and MACC for comment.

The ICU responded saying it had no comment for now but would provide updates if there were any developments.

Rights not affected…

Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil had previously maintained that restricting MPs' access to MyKhas did not affect their rights as elected representatives.

He said allocations distributed through the MyKhas website were special allocations from the prime minister and were separate from any facilities or rights provided to MPs through Parliament.

The communications minister added that constituents could still apply for assistance through existing channels.

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Parliament oversight needed

Yesterday, former Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad called for parliamentary allocations to be protected under an Act of Parliament, arguing that they should not be left to the discretion of the prime minister or the Prime Minister’s Office.

Taking to X, he said allocations for MPs should be guaranteed through legislation to ensure they are provided to all elected representatives regardless of party.

He added that such a law would prevent parliamentary allocations from being used as a political tool by those in power.

The Bersama co-leader also pointed to a “strange situation”, where PKR representatives were being denied allocations despite not being sacked from the party, while BN members who criticised Anwar and Pakatan Harapan during state elections continued to receive funds.

Rodziah also agreed with her former party colleague's call.

"From last time I have agreed to this, even before the issue against me began. In my podcast yesterday, I stressed the same matter," she said.

'Self-inflicted betrayal'

PKR deputy secretary-general Bryan Ng previously defended the suspension of MyKhas access for Lee and Wong.

He described it as a result of their own “self-inflicted betrayal”, referring to the duo’s known political alignment with Rafizi.

READ MORE: 'Reap what you sow': Wong Chen delivers stinging rebuke of Harapan, hints at exit

Ng said Putrajaya had the right to administer public funds through "recognised, loyal channels" and not allow them to be weaponised by representatives showing “clear signs of defection”.

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