The state government has denied that it practices preferential treatment in the distribution of government welfare to the poor and needy in Sabah but acknowledged that aid may not have got to some due to a new rule.
The new rule requires the poor and needy to open bank accounts so that their government welfare assistance can be credited directly into their accounts.
Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Azizah Mohd Dun assured that every citizen, regardless of race or religion, would receive the monthly RM300 cash handout if they are qualified for it.
"The government welfare assistance is given for a one year period and is then reviewed to check whether the recipient is still qualified to receive assistance,” she said.
She was commenting on an FMT report that hundreds of mainly elderly Christian recipients had not received the monthly RM300 welfare aid in several districts in Sabah without notice.
The matter came to light when a 69-year-old welfare recipient from Kota Belud approached FMT to ask assistance to claim his allowance which he had last received in August this year.
The man claimed that he had gone to the Kota Belud district office recently to find out what had happened to his aid and was shocked when a staff rudely told him that he should not be eligible for the aid as he possessed a cellphone and a wristwatch.
A quick survey of senior citizens revealed that he was not the only one who had not received the welfare assistance July and August this year.
Several other recipients of the “bantuan warga emas” in Kota Belud last received their monthly cash handout four to five months ago and most were found to be Christians while Muslim recipients continued to receive the aid uninterrupted.
Whatever new rule when the government intend to implement, the government shouldn't just STOP to help the needy without informing them which they expecting and relying on the government money RM300 for their daily expenses.
ReplyDeleteIt has proven that how in-competence and in-efficiency of the state government by doing their job with dignity?
No wonder Singapore government said Malaysia is running by all the in-competence leaders.
Shame on you the present government@umno who gamble the poor Sabahan life based on their whim and fancy.