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KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 1 — A group of KL MPs today demanded an explanation from the government as to how packets (kampit) of rice will be distributed to the B40 income group in the city under the Myberas@Wilayah programme.
Referring to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s address on January 31 to mark the Federal Territory Day during which he pledged to distribute 5,750 packets, the MPs claimed that many have yet to receive the packets.
“Until today the rakyat are left wondering how the rice will be distributed, which KL resident can apply for it and to whom they make the application to,” they said in a statement.
The MPs questioned if the rice distribution will be done by a political appointee of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and whether this could be the cause of the recipients not receiving their packets.
“Additionally, the Food Basket programme in which each household is given RM100 worth of necessary groceries appears to not have run as planned. This was a programme under the Social Welfare Department with a RM50 million allocation.
“It has already been three months since the declaration of Emergency, yet the rakyat still does not know how to obtain these food baskets which were promised by the PN government,” they said.
In demanding Putrajaya explain how the rice distribution mechanism functions, the MPs also urged the government not to delay the distribution of the aid.
“Any form of delay will only worsen the lives of the rakyat who already have to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus it would be better for Parliament to reconvene so answers to the above can be obtained,” they said.
The group of MPs include Tan Kok Wai (Cheras) Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang) Teresa Kok (Seputeh) Tan Yee Kew (Wangsa Maju) Lim Lip Eng (Kepong) Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai) Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa) P. Prabakaran (Batu) and Hannah Yeoh (Segambut).