REWARD FOR WINNING: Hundreds flood Mah's service centre to claim for MONEY, RICE

PETALING JAYA - Some 500 people flocked to the Gerakan service centre in Teluk Intan on Wednesday morning to "claim" between RM120 and RM200 or the equivalent in rice after being told that the party would be distributing cash and rice for having won the by-election last Saturday.

Newly elected MP Datuk Mah Siew Keong told Sin Chew Daily he was baffled over the large number of residents turning up at the service centre to request for money and rice.

He suspected it was a spoof.

The Gerakan president said the overwhelmed staff learnt from the crowd that someone was spreading the word that the money and rice would be distributed at the service centre.

"We will investigate to find out who started the spoof," said Mah, who was attending a meeting at the Gerakan headquarters in Kuala Lumpur when he was informed of the matter.

The residents were at the service centre to collect money and rice and even asked for land application forms, he said.

However, he said the party had never and would not have made such a commitment.

Datuk Mah Siew Keong

He said he could only clarify and explain to the electorate but many were unhappy about it.

Meanwhile, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang is spooked by a text message he purportedly sent out in the run-up to the Teluk Intan by-election thanking Malaysians for their patronage over the last one year and telling those with bread and butter issues to approach his personal assistants in his Gelang Patah constituency, Johor.

The purported message from Lim, stating the contact numbers of his two assistants, was posted on Facebook by "I Love JB".

According to Sin Chew, the two assistants were flooded with calls from all over the country since May 30.

In an e-mail to the media on Wednesday, Lim pointed out that the text message did not come from him but said the staff at his service centre would be ready to help those with problems. -Sundaily