SANDAKAN – Several Kg Sim Sim residents claimed that state authorities have skipped the distribution of food baskets to more than 500 families due to their political support for DAP and Warisan.
The village is currently under an enhanced movement control order (EMCO).
Villager Afifah Abdullah – who lives in Bridge 9, one of 24 bridges at the water village – said she became suspicious when she saw that the distribution of food baskets had skipped her house last Tuesday.
“I don’t know the person in charge of getting the details of each family here, but I think that they have left my family out on purpose because we are known to be supporters of Warisan.
“My neighbours have received food baskets, but no one has come to ask for our family’s details to date.”
Afifah said her family of six, which include her husband who works as a lorry driver and elderly mother, is in dire need of food aid.
The mother of three’s predicament has been brought to the attention of Tg Papat rep Datuk Frankie Poon, who told The Vibes that he received similar complaints from other villagers there.
However, the DAP man said he does not think it is politically motivated, and instead blames the outdated data of the Sandakan Municipal Council.
“It would be absurd and stupid to put people’s lives at risk for a political ploy.”
Poon said the food baskets prepared by the state government for Kg Sim Sim residents were insufficient, as they were distributed in accordance with the number of houses, not the number of families.
“They distribute only one food basket per house, which will not cover all families as a lot of houses have more than one family.
“Our records show about 600 houses (affected by EMCO), but there are over 960 families involved.
“I have submitted our data to the council for further action. We hope the families who did not get food baskets will get them soon.
“In the meantime, I have started raising funds to prepare food aid for families in need in Kg Sim Sim.”
Tg Papat community development leader Shaiful Bahari Muin, who is in charge of food basket distribution in the village, has strongly denied that his team left out families who support opposition parties.
“That is not true. In fact, such allegations were made by opposition parties to create conflict and tarnish the image of the government,” he told The Vibes.
However, he admitted that the government prepared insufficient food baskets due to unforeseen circumstances (more than one family staying in one house).
“I have proposed 525 additional food baskets from the council and Sandakan Disaster Operations Control Centre. I will receive an update on this request on Monday.”
EMCO has been imposed on Kg Berhala Darat and Kg Melayu Bumiputera – both known as Kg Sim Sim – since July 25. – The Vibes, July 31, 2021
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