SHAH ALAM, 27 Dec: The member of Parliament for Kuantan, Fuziah Salleh, expressed disappointment with the Federal Government’s attitude of acting faster when providing assistance amounting to millions of ringgit to victims of natural disasters from overseas compared to assistance to Kuantan.
“When we see disasters happening in another country, whether it is our own government or related non-governmental organisations (NGO), millions of ringgit in assistance is given quickly.
“If there is a disaster overseas, assistance is given very quickly. But for the flooding issue in Kuantan, we have yet to hear any announcement of huge assistance. We are concerned that the residents of Kuantan are discriminated merely because of political ideology,” she said when contacted by Selangor Kini yesterday.
In a series of natural disasters abroad, the government is typically prepared to provide assistance, either in the form of cash, water, food, blankets, medical personnel, security personnel and other volunteers from government-related NGOs.
The 1Malaysia Putra Club (KP1M) also sent volunteers, together with doctors and other equipment through the Humanitarian Disaster Aid to several countries, such as the Haiyan typhoon in the Philippines, which incurred a great cost.
The departure of the club volunteers also received special attention from the government, by being accompanied by security personnel and taken by special aircraft belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
Although this noble move is welcomed, such situation did not occur when the residents in Kuantan experienced terrible flooding, when volunteers of the club, chaired by Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, were nowhere to be seen.
Most of the flood victims had to save themselves, either with help from the public or assistance from the PAS Charity Department from outside Pahang.
The Charity Department, which prefers a low profile with no publicity, played an important role from early when the flooding started, right up to helping residents clean up their homes after the flood.
