Pakatan Harapan MPs are continuing to raise questions on the value of food aid given by to the poor affected by the movement-control order imposed to curb Covid-19.
They said the food packs are worth less than the stated RM100 despite Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s claim that lower-valued packs were contributed by donors to be distributed via government channels.
Ismail maintains that the government’s food packs are worth RM100 each.
The opposition MPs also said the government should be more transparent with the aid distribution.
Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said he had so far received 250 food packs for his constituency and that they are worth about RM85 instead of the RM100.
The balance was deducted for packaging and transportation costs, Fahmi said.
“I’ve received 250 food packs, and each is worth about RM85. I’m not informed what happened to the balance.
“I was told by the Welfare Department that the packing and transportation made it become RM85 and not RM100,” he told The Malaysian Insight.
It is inefficient and improper to deduct the cost from the food aid, he said, pointing out that it would cost a whopping RM3.3 million if RM15 were to be taken from each packet.
He called on Perikatan Nasional to hold a special parliamentary session so that opposition MPs can get a clear answer from Women and Family Development Minister Rina Harun, who is in charge of the food distribution.
“They were supposed to give 1,000 food packs to 222 parliamentary constituencies and each pack from that pool is supposed to be worth RM100 as what was reported before.
“That means about 15% or RM3.3 million out of RM22.2 million would have gone for transportation, but I don’t know if it will really cost that much.
“This is why MPs feel that it is absolutely necessary to have a special session of Parliament so that we can ask this kind of questions and not get the kind of confusing remarks made by different ministers, whereas the actual minister who is supposed to be responsible is Rina Harun.”
According to Fahmi, there are two types of food aid – one from the Finance Ministry worth RM100 for all MPs and from the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) worth RM50.
Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah said she received 137 food packets worth RM50, which she believed were from Nadma.
She said the government could be clearer and avoid all complications if it listed the items in the RM50 and RM100 food packs.
Rina, as the minister in charge, not Ismail, who is also the defence minister, should also be the minister explaining about the items distributed, Maria said.
“It is not very transparent at the moment. They have to give a report on how many RM50 and RM100 food packs have been given out.
“The answers should be from the minister in charge (Rina). She should answer and explain what is inside the RM50 pack and what is inside the RM100 pack, not the defence minister.”
Batu MP P Prabakaran said he received 131 packs from the Welfare Department but wasn’t sure which category they fell under.
He said the items in each pack might be worth less than RM35.
Each pack contains a 5kg bag of rice, tea, Maggi noodles, sugar, flour and a can of sardine.
“So far I’ve received this and it has been distributed. Not sure when I will receive the balance and wonder why they can’t just distribute the 1,000 packs in a single trip,” he said.
Jelutong MP RSN Rayer said he didn’t check the food aid given and doesn’t know the exact worth of it.
His constituency received 500 packs, and these were distributed as soon as he received them.
Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said she received 600 packs from the Welfare Department and did not encounter any problem.
The Kulai packs are worth RM100 each.
A Chinese daily quoted Rasah MP Cha Kee Chin as saying the retail price of all items in the food packs given in his constituency was only RM35, not RM100.
Cha said despite applying for 950 food packs, he only received 150, even though his constituency is entitled to 1,000 packs in an updated list.
PH lawmakers are forced to find alternative funding to help needy families in their constituencies.
Ipoh Barat MP M Kula Segaran said food packs in his constituency were handed to Umno, PAS and Bersatu representatives.
The food also failed to reach the intended recipients, the needy households, he said.
“The fact that these parties do not electorally represent the Ipoh Barat constituency is a secondary matter.
“More importantly, we ask why such an important aid did not reach the most vulnerable,” the former human resources minister said in a statement.
As at yesterday, the number of Covid-19 cases stands at 5,780 while the death toll remains at 98. – TMI