Why The Delay In Food Baskets For B40 Families Opposition Mps Ask

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CORONAVIRUS | Several opposition MPs have raised concerns over what appears to be unexplained delays in the distribution of "food baskets" from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for B40 families in every parliamentary constituency
This was despite Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob (above) stating that 225,871 households had already received the food baskets, which would benefit one million households today
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh first highlighted this issue in a Twitter posting yesterday morning where she said MPs have been told that 1,000 food baskets would be provided by the federal government through the Community Welfare Department for every constituency
However, Yeoh said, many MPs in Kuala Lumpur have not seen these supplies, even though the country will have already entered the fourth week of the movement control order (MCO) against the Covid-19 pandemic
"We were told there would be 1,000 food baskets to be provided by the federal government through the Community Welfare Department for every constituency, but a lot of MPs in KL have not seen these food supplies and we are entering the fourth week of MCO
"(Women Minister) Rina Harun must answer," Yeoh had said in her Twitter posting yesterday
Contacted later by Malaysiakini, Yeoh (photo) said she was informed that her office would have to submit names of families in need to the Community Welfare Department on April 9, which they have already done
"My point is, it is already the fourth week of the MCO. If the purpose of the food baskets is to feed the hungry, why is the distribution in the fourth week?" she questioned
"(Imagine) you as Rina. I am not sure her own Titiwangsa seat got (the food baskets) already or not
"Disgusting to politicise food in times of crisis," Yeoh said
Meanwhile, Labis MP Pang Hok Liong said he attended a meeting on April 1 with the Segamat Community Welfare Department office to be briefed about this special federal allocation of 1,000 food baskets for each MP
He said he was one of three MPs who was asked to attend this meeting, with the other two being Sekijang MP Natrah Ismail and Segamat MP R Santhara Kumar, though the latter sent a representative to the meeting
Pang (photo, below) said during the meeting, they were told that each MP would be given the food baskets to be distributed to the B40 families in their own constituencies. Once ready, these baskets would be sent by the Community Welfare Department to their service centres
The baskets, he said, were meant to be distributed by the MPs along with Community Welfare Department officers and safety personnel
By April 5, Pang said, he had submitted a list of B40 families in his constituency to the department and later heard from the contracted supplier of the food baskets that a total of 3,000 baskets had already been delivered to the department's depot
"After having patiently waited for the baskets as advised by Segamat Community Welfare Department, they gave all kinds of reasons and excuses for not delivering them to my service centre
"Then it fell upon me that the food baskets allocated for my constituency must have been hijacked after I visited the department's depot," Pang told Malaysiakini
Asked why he came to this conclusion, he said he visited the depot on April 10 with the Sekijang MP and saw that not many baskets were left
"The Segamat office also informed me that it will do the distribution and refused, without offering me any reason, to give me the schedules of its intended dates and time for distribution," Pang said
Since then, he added, Johor Comunity Welfare Department JKM director has not replied to his WhatsApp messages
Pang also said that a department officer had suggested to them that MPs could put stickers of themselves on the food baskets, but they politely rejected his suggestion
Lumut MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli (photo) also told Malaysiakini that as of last Friday (April 10), the food baskets have not been distributed yet
"My office has submitted the list of potential receivers, but no instructions have been made to when the food baskets will arrive, or who will carry out the distribution
"Our calls to the department could not get through," he said
Klang MP Charles Santiago said he was informed that the department has received 300 of the food baskets meant for his constituency so far
"The Community Welfare Department has received 300 baskets and is waiting for instructions on distribution
"They believe the remaining 700 will come soon," Charles told Malaysiakini, adding that he was informed about this initiative about two weeks ago
However, it appears that all three Perlis parliamentary constituencies have already received and distributed the food baskets
Kangar MP Noor Amin Ahmad said the food baskets meant for his constituency were distributed about a week ago
"It depends on which constituency, I suppose. Perlis must be lucky because it is a small state
"The Community Welfare Department has successfully distributed the baskets to each parliamentarian's office in Kangar, Padang Besar and Arau
"For Kangar, we have distributed those packs about a week ago and we have submitted the list of recipients to the department in the last two days," Noor Amin said in a WhatsApp message to Malaysiakini
He added that each of the Perlis parliamentarians' office was given 900 packs to distribute while the department distributed the remaining 100 for each constituency in Perlis
Malaysiakini has also contacted Rina for her response to this matter and is awaiting her reply. - Mkini

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