Batu Tiga Rep Denies Claiming Credit For Aid Distribution

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Batu Tiga state assemblyperson Rodziah Ismail has denied claims by NGO Happy Bank’s founder Nurainie Haziqah Shafii that she had taken undue credit for donations distributed to migrant workers in her constituency yesterday
When contacted, Rodziah thanked the NGO for their donations, but at the same time clarified that she had never claimed credit for the donations
"I never claimed the donations came from me. We were promoting Happy Bank. My intention is to promote them
"I never said it was mine, I know the ethics are not there," she told Malaysiakini
Rodziah was responding to Nurainie's claims made on Twitter last night, based on several photographs shared on her official Facebook page which showed the aid from Happy Bank being distributed to 70 migrant workers at a mosque construction site in Seksyen 24, Shah Alam
The former PKR women's wing deputy chief was also photographed with the recipients who held cardboard signs with thank you messages to her and Happy Bank
In her tweets, Nurainie, who is also a PKR member, said she was shocked to receive screenshots of Rodziah's Facebook post, stressing that Happy Bank since its inception in 2014 had never authorised an elected representative to distribute their donations
"The Happy Bank team is deeply disappointed with an elected representative who took credit for an NGO's efforts
"Let us from NGOs help those in need without you 'delivering donations' that are already there. You just came to claim credit," claimed Nurainie
Commenting further, Rodziah said she was present at the site to meet with some of the migrant workers after being alerted that they have not been paid any salary for the last two or three months
She also said she received a request from a worker's representative to use her official van to transport the items for distribution on site
The worker's representative, Mahathir Hilal, also posted a comment on Rodziah's Facebook post, stating that her team was present at his invitation and requested to borrow their van to transport the items kept at a nearby location
Mahathir said he also requested Rodziah's presence as her authority would facilitate access to the construction site, a restricted area of entry during the movement control order period
"If there are any parties who wished to lay the blame for what that had happened, point the blame towards me, and I will accept it as part of my duty to distribute the donations," he said.  - Mkini

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