Press Statement By Michael Kong:
I challenge Dr Sim to reveal the full text of the official memo dated 03.04.2020 issued by the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development (Ref: KWKPK/100-1/3 JLD.11 (25)) which was addressed to all Resident Offices.
In his press statement on 28.04.2020, Dr Sim Kui Hian chose to do a selective reading of the said memo by sidestepping the issue that his Service Centre was nominated by the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development to manage the food aid allocation for the 5 constituencies.
He tries to divert the issue by saying that the allocation of funds was not to him and/or his service centre and that the fund is with the JBB. This press statement is only half-truth.
In the said memo, Dr Sim Kui Hian and his service centre were given the authority and discretion to decide on how to spend the RM1,000,000 allocated for food aid for five (5) DUN constituencies, namely N.9 Padungan, N. 10 Pending, N. 11 Batu Lintang, N. 12 Kota Sentosa and N. 14 Batu Kawah.
Dr Sim Kui Hian had conveniently failed to reveal the part of the Ministry’s memo stating that his Service Centre has the discretion to decide on the purchase of all the food items, and thereafter forward the bill to JBB for payment, or pay first then claim reimbursement from JBB.
The question as to whether the money goes through Dr Sim Kui Hian or his service centre is not the issue on hand. Instead, the question is why was Dr Sim Kui Hian’s Service Centre nominated by the Ministry to decide on the purchase and distribution of food items for all the four (4) other DUN constituencies which he is not the ADUN?
The fact that this is the decision of the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development and not his decision is not a valid excuse because Dr Sim Kui Hian is a member of the State cabinet and the cabinet decides collectively as one.
