More MPs question value of food aid

CORONAVIRUS | Pakatan Harapan MPs continue to question the value of food aid distributed to the poor affected by the movement control order (MCO).

While the Welfare Department claimed that almost 10 percent of the RM100 in value was deducted to pay for the packaging and transportation, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said it's improper to do so.

“I’ve received 250 food packs and each is worth about RM85. I’m not informed of what happened to the balance.

“I was told by the Welfare Department that the packing and transportation (deduction) made it RM85 and not RM100 (in food value),” news portal The Malaysian Insight quoted him as saying. 

Fahmi said that if RM15 was to be taken from each packet, it would then cost a whopping RM3.3 million.

He said a special parliamentary session was necessary so that the minister in charge, Women and Family Development Minister Rina Harun, could provide a clear answer to opposition MPs.

Fahmi (below) explained that there are two types of food aid - 1,000 packs from the Finance Ministry worth RM100 each for all MPs and 1,000 packs from the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

Other MPs such as Petaling Jaya's Maria Chin Abdullah and Batu's P Prabakaran said they were unsure if the hampers they received for the poor in their constituencies were from RM50 or RM100 packs.

“It is not very transparent at the moment. They have to give a report on how many RM50 and RM100 food packs have been given out," Maria said. 

“The answers should be from the minister in charge (Rina).

"She should answer and explain what is inside the RM50 pack and what is inside the RM100 pack, not the defence minister.”

The Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had explained that those food packs under RM100 are not from the government but contributed by NGOs.

Prabakaran said the items in each pack, which consisted of a 5kg bag of rice, tea, a can of sardine, among others - might be worth less than RM35.

“So far I’ve received this and it has been distributed. Not sure when I will receive the balance and I wonder why they can’t just distribute the 1,000 packs in a single trip,” he said.

On April 23, Rasah MP Cha Kee Chin said his office received 150 packs which they found to be worth around RM35 each.

It was reported that the only opposition-held constituency to receive its full quota of 1,000 food packs was Langkawi, which is represented by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Kangar, held by Noor Amin Ahmad of Harapan, and Kubang Pasu, held by Amiruddin Hamzah of Bersatu, had received 900 hampers each. - Mkini