Food is coming - KL mayor tells residents under lockdown in Selayang

CORONAVIRUS | The government will provide food for the 16,000 residents surrounding the Selayang wholesale market who are now confined under the enhanced movement control order (MCO), Kuala Lumpur Mayor Nor Hisham Dahlan said today.

He said the multi-agency crisis management centre (CMC) set up for the federal territories has instructed food to be sent to the Selayang area.

"CMC has instructed the Welfare Department, Rela and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to manage it," Hisham told Malaysiakini in a text message.

He said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will also help in terms of logistics.

"I will ask them (to send food supplies) now," Hisham responded when asked if the supplies would reach the lockdown area.

Yesterday afternoon, Malaysiakini reported that the government has yet to provide food to residents in the vicinity of the wholesale market. 

When contacted today, Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers' Association secretary Law Tek Kim said his staff have not received any food.

Meanwhile, Batu MP P Prabakaran said in a social posting last night that he has been receiving calls from residents at Taman Sri Murni informing him that they have yet to receive aid from the Social Welfare Department.

“I'm still getting so many calls from people there who tell me they haven't had a proper meal because they are out of groceries. 

"They claim they haven't eaten and are in dire need of milk powder, rice and the basic essentials, but no aid from welfare department has reached them when I'm writing this," the PKR lawmaker had said.

The 14-day enhanced MCO was imposed on Monday after the death of a 36-year-old Myanmar man who was admitted at Selayang Hospital on April 17. The death led authorities to implement mass screening in the market area and found 28 people infected with Covid-19.

The lockdown largely affected migrant workers and Rohingya refugees who earn a living at the market.

The affected areas are part of Pusat Bandar Utara, Taman Sri Murni, Taman Batu View and Taman Batu Hampar.  - Mkini