Sabah denies favouritism in aid distribution

By Dominic Legeh

KOTA KINABALU: 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.

Annual review

Some single mothers and handicapped persons have also said that they had not received their allowance since August or September.

Speaking to reporters after she officiated the opening of the Sabah International Halal Showcase 2010 at 1Borneo here Thursday, Azizah said there are many reasons for the annual review of government welfare assistance.

Citing an example, she said single mothers who re-married would no longer be eligible for the assistance while a check is also done to verify if elderly citizens are still alive.

“After the review completed, if the recipient is still qualified for the welfare assistance then he or she will definitely continue to receive it,” Azizah said.

Acknowledging that some may not have received their monthly welfare, she said that the problem could have happened because the recipients had yet to open up a bank account.

She said starting in October this year, the money was banked into the bank accounts of the recipients.

“We have advised them to cooperate by opening up bank accounts to enable smooth payment of the cash welfare assistance.

“We have heard of such complaints. But I was made to understand that now everything is going smoothly.

“If there are still those who are facing certain problems, they can contact our Welfare Services Department so that we can have a look at what is actually happening.

“If they are qualified for the welfare assistance they will receive it.

"I would like to stress here that the government does not practice any favouritism,” she stressed.

Eye-opener

Meanwhile in Penampang, a first time food distribution programme in the state left members of a joint-delegation from the Ministries of Women Family and Community Development and Health in shock.

"It was an eye-opener for us to witness these extreme conditions. Poverty is a vicious cycle,” said a member of the delegation.

"Our visit here had given us a better understanding of what these folks are going through, we will find the best solution to help them.

"An effective mechanism needs to be in place to help them. For starters, it would be most helpful if they only need to go through one organisation/agency for their needs instead of having them go from one government department to another for help.”

The delegation distributed food baskets worth RM300 each, containing nine food items to 55 malnourished children registered with the Penampang Health Clinic, about 16km from Kota Kinabalu.

"The government has implemented similar food support programmes under the 1Azam initiative in several states in the peninsula.

"But this is the first time in Sabah. We chose Penampang because of its proximity to Kota Kinabalu and also because the district has a high number of children who are malnourished,” a spokesman said.