Statement by Chong Chieng Jen:
The GPS State Government should stop playing politics of discriminating the Opposition at this time of covid-19 crisis.
Even at this time of crisis, the Opposition ADUNs are still deprived of the recently announced allocation of RM200,000 to help the poor families in our respective areas. By doing so, the State Government is not merely discriminating against the Opposition ADUNs but also the poor people residing in these areas.
The Movement Control Order (MCO) started on 18-3-2020, the State Welfare Department as well as the Federal Welfare Department have all the records of the poor families registered with the Welfare Department and also households receiving Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH). Basically, those are the ones who need the supply and delivery of essential food items during this MCO period. It also has the state-wide government agencies and RELA to assist in the distribution of such essential food items.
According to Fatimah, the distribution of food in Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa and Batu Lintang will start yesterday (6-4-2020). That is a long 20 days after the imposition of the MCO. Is it sheer inefficiency on the part of the GPS Government or element of politicking and discrimination against the areas held by the Opposition?
Even with such long delay, when we enquired with the State Welfare Department yesterday (6-4-2020) noon, we were informed that the State Government so far has only allocated 100 packs of food for distribution in each of the above 4 DUN areas. At the time of our enquiry, even that meagre 100 packs per DUN area had yet to be distributed.
My first question to Fatimah: why waited for 20 days then start giving out food? Is the Government waiting for the GPS logos and all those bags with GPS logos to be printed before distributing the food to families who need the food items?
Even with the limited resources of DAP as an Opposition party, we got our police permits to distribute food items yesterday, within a day, we are now distributing food items to those who need them. If we can start doing the distribution within a day, why would it take GPS as the Government of the day 20 days to start distributing food items in these 4 DUN areas?
My second question to Fatimah: These 4 areas has the largest population in the whole state, why only allocated 100 packs? Will there be any more distribution? If so, when will such distribution be carried out?
My third question to Fatimah: The State Government announced that it has allocated RM200,000 for each and every state constituency, but that for Opposition-held constituencies, the allocation will not be handled by the opposition ADUNs. If this is so, why after 20 days of MCO, only 100 packs of food for each of these 4 constituencies?
The DAP Sarawak have been trying in all ways to help in this covid-19
crisis. When the Sarawak General
Hospital was in need of medical equipment and personal protective equipment for
the hospital staff, we donated whatever we could find. When the Government forbids us to do delivery
of food items, we help to provide names contact numbers and addresses of those
families in need to the Government. When
the Government finally allows NGOs to deliver food items, we comply with all
the regulations imposed for the delivery of food and mobilise all members to
help in the delivery of food items to these poor families.
On the contrary, the GPS is the one who is still politicking at this critical time.
- The GPS Government withheld the RM200,000 allocation from the Opposition ADUNs.
- When we supplied the names and contacts of those families in need of food supply, the GPS took its own sweet time to do minimal delivery, punishing the people for supporting the Opposition.
- Worst of all, as of the latest, the GPS Government is now withholding information on the progress or the non-progress of the distribution of food to families in need.
Regardless of how the GPS Government politicking in this matter, DAP Sarawak will do our part to serve the Rakyat and make sure that those who have registered with us will get their essential food supply in the next one day or two.
