Fund set up to supply foreigners with basic food items - FT minister

CORONAVIRUS | Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa assured that non-citizens affected by the lockdown in Selayang will be provided with basic food items.

However, he said the food aid would be purchased using money collected through a specially set up fund by the Crisis Management Centre (CMC) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), and not taxpayers’ monies.

“For non-citizens, the Federal Territories CMC has set up a fund. We have been receiving help in the form of contributions in an account started by DBKL to buy food stock, especially for non-citizens.

“We are not using taxpayers money… for the time being, the fund has enough to supply basic food items to non-citizens,” he said during a press conference in Selayang.

Residential areas in the vicinity of the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market have been placed under the lockdown - near the Batu Caves temple roundabout up to the Sri Murni apartments - since Monday due to the number of Covid-19 cases detected there.

Since then, there have been reports that those living under lockdown there have yet to receive food aid promised by authorities, including the large number of migrant workers and Rohingya refugees who earn a living at the market.

According to Annuar, a detailed census of the six blocks under lockdown have since established that there are 3,200 units affected comprising over 17,000 residents. Of these, 1,700 units, or between 8,000 to 10,000 people, comprise non-Malaysians.

Food distribution for non-citizens will be handled by the armed forces, with the minister stating that rations will be distributed according to unit numbers and not at random.

He stressed, however, that this was a “humanitarian” gesture.

“It is not our (the government’s) responsibility to supply enough (food) for non-citizens...but we believe we have enough funds for adequate supply of the basics, so there is no issue of starvation as reported,” he said.

In the same press conference, Annuar had earlier apologised for the shortage of food supplies distributed to residents in the first couple of days of the lockdown.

He assured the matter was resolved, with basic food supplies to be delivered to Malaysian citizens in two rounds to ensure enough supply for the remaining lockdown period, especially with Muslims starting fasting month tomorrow.

Those under enhanced movement control order are not permitted to leave the area, even to purchase food. - Mkini