Perak rejects flood aid from Selangor Govt

“BN Perak should stop playing partisan politics.”

SHAH ALAM: The Perak Government, led by the Umno-dominated Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, has rejected a RM100,000 donation from the Selangor Government for flood victims in the state.

This is in marked contrast to the Pahang and Terengganu Governments, also led by BN, which have accepted similar aid from Selangor.

Perak, underlining that beggars can indeed be choosers, is only willing to accept the aid offer from Selangor if channeled through an NGO.

“This excuse is totally unacceptable and childish since the Pahang and Terengganu Governments have already accepted the donation,” said Chong Zhemin, the Political Secretary to DAP Perak Chairman who heads the DAP Perak Economic Development Bureau. “If Pahang and Terengganu can accept the donation from Selangor, why can’t Perak?”

The donation, he stressed, is meant for the flood victims. “This rejection proves that BN Perak is putting its political interest above the people’s interest even if it means that the flood victims continue to suffer without food, water and basic necessities.”

Chong urged BN Perak to immediately reverse “the irresponsible decision” and accept the RM100,000 donation from Selangor. He pointed out that the number of flood victims in Perak continued to rise from 7,360 people from 1,998 families to 7,412 people from 2,018 families.

BN Perak is irresponsible, heartless and soulless for rejecting the donation for the flood victims, he added. “It should stop playing partisan politics at a time when Malaysia is facing the worst ever flood in history and immediately accept the RM100,000 donation from the Selangor Government.”

He called on BN Perak to grow up and understand that the donation is not for the Perak Government. “It is irrelevant how the donation will be channeled to the flood victims as the bottom-line is to ensure that the donation reaches the flood victims,” he said.

DAP Perak is ready to put aside political differences and cooperate with any BN component party be it Umno, MCA, Gerakan or MIC to form a bipartisan flood relief team to help the flood victims, continued Chong.

The ball is now in BN’s court to prove that they are willing to put the flood victims’ interest in the forefront, he said, and take a bipartisan approach on flood relief.