KUALA LUMPUR – Unperturbed by possible action by authorities, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has vowed to continue operating the food bank programme at his parliamentary service centre, despite orders for it to close.
The Muda founder told The Vibes that it will be cruel of him to turn away people who come to his doorstep for help, as he looks to carry on with efforts to assist those in dire straits.
“According to National Security Council standard operating procedures (SOPs), service centres are allowed to open.
“I hope police understand that these are unprecedented times. I am appealing for us to be allowed to continue operations.
“So, yes, I will continue to open my office. I will do my best to direct the crowd to head to different pick-up points, but I cannot just close down the centre. There are also those who visit for different reasons.
“I already explained to the authorities (about the aid programme). It will be inhumane of me to tell those who come for help to wait another week or so.”
Syed Saddiq said in any case, he has contacted police to appeal the decision to close his service centre, but was told to refer the case to several other government agencies and departments.
He was also asked to come up with alternative measures to control the crowd by sending them to other centres and compel recipients to register for the aid, which he said is time consuming.
“What I propose is to allow me to open a few more centres in different parts of Muar, and send the aid house-to-house. But that alone is not enough, as a lot of people still come to my office.
“I will appeal, but I do not have much time. The fact is hundreds come for help, signifying the gravity of the problem. Every day wasted is a day that families go hungry.”
Syed Saddiq, in a Facebook post last night, said his parliamentary service centre has been ordered to close effective today, as police deemed the crowd to be too big.
The closing down of the centre will only lead to a delay in getting assistance into the hands of recipients, he added, pleading to cops to not issue compounds to those who gather at his office.
“If you want to compound me, it’s okay. Do not add further burden to the rakyat. All they want is for help to reach them.”
He said his office has complied with all SOPs, including implementing a coupon system of a maximum 100 recipients a day; using Rela service to control the crowd; seeking help from police to assist; and, ensuring social distancing when queuing.
“But we cannot control the number of people who come for help, and if you want to issue compounds to those who come to my office, I ask that you please don’t do so.”
Malay Mail quoted a source as saying that Syed Saddiq’s office has been ordered shut due to non-compliance of SOPs, with the directive coming from the Health Ministry, not police.
“The ministry said all aid for the needy should be sent to the respective households, and not centralised at one premises to avoid Covid-19 infections,” the source was reported as saying.
Segambut aid drive forced to shut due to large crowd
Meanwhile, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh in a social media post said after discussing with police, she has been forced to stop her food bank programme due to an extremely high demand.
Yesterday alone, more than 800 individuals visited her food bank within four hours, the majority of whom are foreigners, she added.
She said it is not easy to manage such a large crowd with the current pandemic situation.
“We do not have a waiting area big enough for such a crowd. We have adjoining residential areas, and having hundreds outside their house is a traffic challenge,” she tweeted today.
“We have mobilised volunteers from five residents’ association, and police also sent their officers to help, but they have four existing EMCO (enhanced movement control order) areas to manage too. Cannot do this daily,” she said, adding that police in Segambut have been helpful in assisting with the food distribution.
The DAP lawmaker said her team will find other ways to mobilise volunteers to continue the initiative, while stressing the need to lift the lockdown, which she said is unfeasible.
She also encouraged places of worship and other entities nationwide to consider running mini food banks until the country pulls through the current pandemic.
Yeoh, in a Facebook post last night, apologised for having to discontinue her programme, while noting that the majority of those who came for assistance have lost their source of income due to the lockdown.
“The National Security Council should be looking for ways to reopen the economy. Many have been staying at home since June 1 and are unable to sustain. How do they pay rentals, utility bills, and food for their family while waiting for cases to drop?” – The Vibes, July 14, 2021
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