PENAMPANG - An allocation of RM2 million for food aid has been made for Penampang, but folks here are yet to receive assistance.
Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang said she had to rely on donations from local groups like the Pacos Trust and the Touching Live club to get around 200 food baskets to meet residents' requests for help.
She also established her own team called the Kapayan Foodbank group and would be distributing 326 more food baskets to vulnerable groups there next week.
According to her, many of her poor constituents have questioned why that only those under home quarantine and those listed in e-Kasih were entitled to the state government food aid.
“These residents remarked that they too are undergoing home quarantine because they cannot go out to work and earn a living during this period.
“They are lamenting that the GRS government appears to be inefficient, slow and uncaring,” said Lasimbang, adding that she also had appealed to Sabah’s community development and people wellbeing minister Shahelmy Yahya to extend the state aid to vulnerable people who lost their source of income.
In a reply, Shahelmy informed that he has taken note of Lasimbang’s request and will act on the matter.
Drawing comparison to the previous Warisan-led Sabah government, Lasimbang said the Kapayan state assembly office was able to distribute 13,000 food baskets to local constituency at a cost of RM600,000.
On top of that, Lasimbang said she had also handed cash assistance to vulnerable groups and those who have lost their jobs, and to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. - The Vibes, October 30, 2020.
