Revoking aid to disabled is ‘illegal’

Joseph Tawie | March 6, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

An assistant minister’s order to revoke aid to a disabled man in Sarawak because he supports the opposition contravenes the federal constitution.

KUCHING: A minister in Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s cabinet may have landed himself in hot soup after it was revealed that he had instructed two departments to revoke government extended subsidiaries and welfare aid to a disabled man who had supported an opposition candidate.

Sarawak DAP, which lodged a police report against Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Research and Marketing) Mong Dagang last Friday, said the minister has contravened the law.

Mong had allegedly directed, through a letter, the Assistant Director of Agriculture in Sri Aman to cease all forms of subsidies to Frusis Lebi.

Party secretary Chong Chieng Jen said DAP want the police to investigate Mong for his ‘heinous crime’.

“This is a heinous crime, and what Mong has done is a contravention of the federal constitution which clearly provides that all citizens have basic right of association.

“This is a clear case of discrimination based on a person’s political affiliation. Discrimination is a contravention of the law.

“We want the police to take an immediate action,” said Chong.

Mong had allegedly issued the instruction to stop immediately all forms of agricultural subsidies to Lebi as he had openly supported an opposition candidate in the last state election.

Mong had said that Lebi had also allegedly flown the opposition flag and allowed his house to be as an operation room in the 2011 state election.

Following Mong’s letter, all forms of subsidies including Lebi’s welfare allowance were stopped from October last year.

Silent Mong

Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said DAP will lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Malaysia (Suhakam) over the matter.

“This is something inhumane done by a BN Assistant Minister. What more to say on top of the letter there is a 1Malaysia logo.

“So much for being a a caring government,” he said.

Chong added that the party would also, if needed, make a formal report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Reacting to Mong’s silence over media reports of his action, Chong said: “We are totally disgusted by the lack of response from Mong.

“He has made no comment over the issue. He tried to hide over this matter. This is something inhumane,” he said adding that he will raise the matter in parliament next week.

Chong said, Najib Tun Razak as the Prime Minister who is flogging the 1Malaysia spirit must answer for this uncaring act by Mong.

Najib must answer

Chong has also demanded that Mong, who is the youth chief in BN-Parti Rakyat Sarawak, explain his actions.

“I call on Mong to give a satisfactory explanation failing which he should resign, because a person of that nature is unfit in my opinion to hold office of assistant minister.

“Even to hold office as an elected representative, he is not only unfit as he discriminated against one of his constituents, but also has no compassion for a person who needs help from the government.

“He has total lack of understanding on the principle of democracy because by supporting the opposition, Frusis (Lebi) is not against government policy. He is only against BN.

“It appears that the BN policy is ‘BN first and people second’ and this is against 1Malaysia: People first performance now,” Chong said