TTF: Is the fact that an NGO came with trailer loads of relief supplies reason enough to question its funding source? PKR’s Afif Bahardin seems to think so (see news item below).
Yesterday, the Penang health exco demanded to know where Kelab Putera 1Malaysia got its money from. Yes, this is the guy Lim Guan Eng put in charge of health, a move that seemed to pay off back when the Kampung Sungai Lembu issue first made headlines.
On the 15th of August 2017, Guan Eng apologised to residents of the village after conceding that an illegal factory he prevented MPPP from tearing down brought negative impact on them. Then, eight days later, he sat side by side Afif as the latter rubbished claims that the incidence of cancer in the village was linked to the factory.
By getting a health ‘expert’ to demolish the link, the Chief Minister effectively rescinded his apology without actually having to say anything. But he usually never stops there, In his books, the prime objective is always to pin the blame on Barisan Nasional for all the ills in the country.
That helps explain why Afif accused Barisan Nasional of floating propaganda. According to him, there was nothing to suggest that the factory was responsible for the spate of cancer related illnesses in the village. Yes, Afif is not the kind of guy who jumps to conclusions. If there is no evidence to suggest something, he will criticise you for suggesting it.
But then, this is the same guy who ‘withheld’ evidence by refusing to acknowledge that the incidence of cancer in the village far surpassed the national average by a factor of 23. Being a health ‘expert’, he should have known that the anomalous rate was reason enough to link the spate of cancers to the factory. Instead, he chose to keep quiet about it and accused Barisan National of floating propaganda.
Do you now see how Guan Eng plays his cards?
So ungrateful is he, he got Afif to imply that a government NGO helped flood victims in Penang with supplies that were purchased using dirty money. But this is the same Guan Eng who, on the 5th of November 2017, thanked Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for offering the state of Penang a helping hand.
Can the Chief Minister go any lower than this?
GEORGE TOWN: A Penang state executive councillor questioned today the funding sources of Kelab Putera 1Malaysia (KP1M) that came with trailer loads of disaster relief supplies three days after floods hit Penang.
Dr Afif Bahardin, who is the state health, agriculture and agro-based industry committee chairman, said the non-governmental organisation (NGO) arrived with 10 large trailers of supplies such as mattresses and pillows emblazoned with pictures of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“While I am not questioning their good intention in providing the supplies to the flood victims, I want to know where their funding came from,” he said in his winding-up speech at the legislative assembly today.
The Seberang Jaya assemblyman from PKR claimed that the federal Welfare Department had run out of stock and could not provide any basic supplies to flood victims.
“Then three days after the floods, this club went all around the state, to Balik Pulau, to Seberang Perai, to distribute supplies. So why is it that the federal government agency, the Welfare Department, has no allocation for supplies, and yet this so-called NGO has ample supplies?” he demanded.
This prompted Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) to state that KP1M was an “NGO kerajaan” (government NGO) that had come out to provide assistance to the victims.
“They are like the Tzu Chi Foundation, who came out to help. Please don’t make baseless accusations like this. KP1M is a ‘NGO kerajaan’,” he said.
Muhamad Farid also said the Welfare Department is under both the state and federal government so if the agency runs out of stock, the state government should provide allocations to the agency to replenish their stock.
Dr Afif responded by pointing out that Tzu Chi was an NGO that was not led by an MP and that it was also a non-profit international humanitarian organisation.
“At least Tzu Chi did not put my face or Guan Eng’s face on their pillows and mattresses,” he said in jest.
KP1M is headed by Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.
Later, in a press conference, Dr Afif clarified that he was not criticising KP1M for its relief efforts but only where it’s funding came from.
“We only want a straight answer. What happened to the allocation for the Welfare Department? And where did KP1M gets its funding? If they are getting public donations, they should be transparent to show their accounts,” he said.
He said the NGO should make it clear if its funds came from the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government, public donations or some private donation from Saudi Arabia.
“How can an NGO come with trailers of supplies while the Welfare Department does not bring even one trailer? I want to question, are they taking over the job of the Welfare Department?” he asked.
He pointed out that November and December are monsoon periods when floods and storms are more frequent, so the Welfare Department should have been well-prepared for it.
Source: The Malay Mail Online
