Gov't must ensure adequate food supply for Pudu's semi-enhanced MCO

ADUN SPEAKS | The food shortages that we are reading in Pudu’s semi-enhanced movement control order (MCO) is a repeat of the Selayang enhanced MCO fiasco, where the federal government and the National Security Council (NSC) have failed to adequately supply food provisions to residents under lockdown.

In the recent enhanced MCO in PJ Old Town, we identified the various needs of the residents and made provisions to address them efficiently. We learned from the Selayang enhanced MCO and aimed to prevent a similar situation from happening in PJ Old Town.

Our efforts included supplying supplementary fresh food packs to my residents with financial allocations from the state government and kind sponsors. With the cooperation of the Welfare Department, we managed to deliver these provisions to each house. We also catered food for senior citizens who are unable to cook at home from restaurants, once again using the financial allocations from the state government as well as contributions from kind sponsors.

We also set up a hotline to supplement NSC's hotline for the residents, as only having one person answering the NSC's hotline is not sufficient. Our hotline was connected to our seven members of staff to be able to answer residents questions and take note of their concerns.

The gap needed to be filled, and my team and I quickly filled it, learning the lessons from the Selayang enhanced MCO. But the situation in Pudu is clearly showing that MSC and Putrajaya are not learning from these past shortcomings. It seems that planning for lockdowns revolved around security and barbed wire, and less thought for the food supply, medicine supply and overall welfare of these residents.

Lockdowns (enhanced MCOs, semi-enhanced MCOs or reinforced MCOs) are likely to keep happening at various parts of the country as we still battle Covid-19 while restarting the economy. It is crucial for the NSC to take the welfare of the affected residents seriously, starting with Pudu, and for every other lockdown to come.

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RAJIV RISHYAKARAN is state assemblyperson for Bukit Gasing. - Mkini