SANDAKAN – Those wanting to get their hands on a food basket at the Elopura Community Development Leader Unit (UPPM) office in Bandar Prime Mile 4 here left empty-handed and frustrated after discovering they were victims of fake news on social media.
This was after several viral WhatsApp messages stated that anyone living in the Elopura constituency could get a food basket by just presenting their MyKad at the Elopura UPPM office.
But, according to Elopura Community Development leader Ng Boon Leng, the viral messages are fake, and not everyone is eligible to receive a food basket.
“The Elopura UPPM office has been given the task by the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) to distribute food baskets to those registered under the e-Kasih programme or are from the B40 group in Sandakan.
“However, somehow, word spread that anyone with a MyKad could get a food basket just by coming to our office. This is not true.
“I was surprised to see the crowd outside the office one morning, and it continued for several days. I had to explain to the people that not everyone is eligible to get the assistance,” he told The Vibes.
Ng added that the local representative, Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong, had also made the matter worse by posting a statement on his Facebook page encouraging the people to go to Elopura UPPM office for a food basket.
He lambasted the state lawmaker, describing Chong’s actions as irresponsible and misleading.
Ng believes Chong had intentionally tried to make their work harder, saying he should have known better, seeing that he had served in the same role when Warisan led the state.
In a Facebook post last Wednesday, Chong had said: “It has gone viral on WhatsApp that the government has distributed food baskets.
“Even though we are now in the opposition – without fund for development – when the government is distributing assistance, we are sure to spread this news to everyone so that the government will not miss anybody.
“It was learned that the government is preparing food baskets through Elopura UPPM. Public members with any inquiry can contact the office at 089-279993. The public can also visit their office in Bandar Prima.
“As long as you are in the B40 group and in need of assistance, you can go to the office and inform them to apply.”
The post also included a photo of the Elopura UPPM office.
Ng said that Chong’s announcement also put the people at risk, as many left their homes to gather in a crowd during the movement control order (MCO).
Ng added it would be illogical for the office to have one food basket for each voter, as the Elopura constituency alone has more than 25,000 voters.
However, he said that the UPPM office will still try to help those who are not in its aid list by registering their names and details for future initiatives.
“We register those who are not under the e-Kasih and B40 group list. Our team will check if they are indeed those who are in need of food assistance. Then, we will call them up for them to receive their assistance,” he said.
Yesterday, a voice recording of a Sandakan woman angrily scolding an Elopura UPPM office staff had gone viral.
“What is the government doing? I have gone through all the trouble to get to the office. They said that we only need to present our MyKad. But when I did that, I was not given any food basket,” the woman in the voice recording is heard saying. – The Vibes, July 1, 2021
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