KOTA KINABALU – Warisan federal lawmaker Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman is urging the government to reduce bureaucracy when it comes to delivering food aid to those in need.
He said in times of crisis, and especially for those in areas under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), the government should ease the process of delivering assistance to affected residents.
“The government should facilitate and monitor the situation. People may be eating only plain rice, babies may be without milk; so, stop making the process difficult and start facilitating and helping with the process,” he said.
The former deputy home minister said this after his attempt to distribute food packs on June 19 to affected villagers in Kg Likas here was stopped by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK).
The local authority said it handles all food pack distribution in the district.
Azis, who is also Ketua Wira Warisan, said that on that day, he had prepared 1,500 food baskets for the village folk, and they had targeted families who contacted him personally saying DBKK had missed giving them food baskets.
“The government missed some families during distribution. I don’t know how it happened but, even though I am in the opposition, I want to complement the government’s effort to help the people so, I arranged our own food baskets for these families.
“We had included raw fish in these food packs. Our team also had a volunteer living in Kg Likas, so we arranged for the food baskets to be sent to the security post station to be picked up and distributed by the volunteer,” he said.
However, Azis said his plan did not go smoothly as he was told that all food assistance must be handled by DBKK.
He then raised concerns about the possibility of DBKK ”missing” some recipients, and that its assistance could come too late, seeing that fresh produce may be included in the packages.
“What if they only deliver the basket after two days? The food baskets had wet food in it, so it could not wait,” he said.
He said the previous Warisan-led state government had never complicated the process for people to donate or deliver assistance.
“I do not understand why the government is tightening bureaucracy in times of crisis, when it can just monitor the process and help the people get their assistance as quickly as possible.”
Azis said he was told that PKR’s Inanam MP, Peto Galim, had also been stopped from giving out food packs to an EMCO area in Kg Kionsom Kecil, Inanam, two weeks ago.
“This has happened in many areas in Sabah. (Segambut MP) Hannah Yeoh had told me this is not happening in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Imagine NGOs, corporate bodies or individuals wishing to donate to those in need, but are stopped by the tight bureaucracy, and so, they cancel their intention to donate. These food packs help families survive.”
Meanwhile, Labuan PKR branch chief Simsudin Sidek said the government needs to urgently improve the food basket distribution system as many families are receiving their food baskets late.
“Those living in EMCO areas need food baskets urgently. This is critical because some families cannot afford to pay runners.
“Labuan Corporation must take action to introduce the concept of ‘patrol and distribute’. Work with the Welfare Department and police for this, whereby the police conducts patrols and, at the same time, distributes the food baskets,” he said in Labuan. – The Vibes, July 2, 2021
