By The Borneo Post onSabah
Calvin and Abidin.
KOTA KINABALU (Apr 15): Tensions flared during Tuesday’s state assembly session as government and opposition lawmakers clashed over the effectiveness of poverty aid programs.
Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong Ket Kiun had lamented that despite the various government financial aid available such as e-Kasih and Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur), the rakyat in his constituency still continue to come to his office to ask for money, especially during festive seasons.
Calvin questioned whether it is truly the underprivileged who are benefitting from these aid as he wondered who exactly the quota is for, claiming that the rakyat until today are still requesting for registration forms and most of the registration periods only last for one day before the quota is fully used up.
Pleading for the people of Sandakan not to be left out of such initiatives, he posed a supplementary question to Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Abidin Madingkir – what are the government’s steps to eradicate poverty in Sandakan?
“Where is Sandakan now, and what can it be in the future? I heard the minister say that Sabah is the poorest state in the country, but there have been no changes until now,” he said.
Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M Yahya then quipped to Abidin, “Are you going to wind up again?”, referring to the length of latter’s prior answer to the main question, which he felt was as long as a winding up speech.
Abidin said he was confused over the supplementary question, as it would take another 15 minutes to elaborate on the recipients of aid initiatives for each district and state constituency, when he had already been advised by the Speaker on this matter.
But before he could continue, Calvin stood up and berated the Paginatan assemblyman for not wanting to answer his question.
The former mayor retaliated with his logic: “How am I supposed to answer your question if you are standing up and don’t want to listen?”
Calvin didn’t back down, pointing out that there was no need for Abidin’s prior confusion: “If you want to answer, answer lah. Why you want to say all this?”
As the drama unfolded, several other members of the state assembly decided to give their two cents on the matter, with one Yang Berhormat expressing dismay over the forenoon racket.
“Eh, why cannot be noisy in the morning? If something is ngam (right), then we say it’s ngam. If it’s not ngam, then we say it’s not ngam,” defended Calvin.
At this point, the Speaker had called for calm in the sacred State Assembly several times to no avail, to the point where he had to raise his voice to control the hullabaloo.
“YB Elopura, Elopura, Elopura, Elopura sit down first,” he exclaimed, before taking the opportunity to insert his own jab by suggesting that the reason for Calvin’s behaviour could be because he has not had his breakfast yet.
However, Abidin continued to pressure the Elopura assemblyman, reminding him that it is normal for the rakyat to request financial assistance from their elected representatives.
“You made noise because the rakyat are still coming to you for money. That is a normal thing.
“Even in my area, we gave them SMJ housing and Syukur aid, but the rakyat still come to me for help.
“That is our responsibility as a wakil rakyat, so don’t complain. If you want to complain, might as well step down,” he asserted.
Calvin insisted on his point, saying that an assemblyman’s salary is not enough to cover the needs of all rakyat in his constituency.
“Focus, minister. Even a RM20,000 salary is not enough, what more us. I asked you to answer not for myself, but for the people of Sandakan,” he stressed.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan chimed in, supporting his fellow assistant minister’s call for the Elopura assemblyman to step down if he can’t hack the job.
The Speaker then attempted to call for the next supplementary question unsuccessfully, causing him to mute Calvin’s microphone.
The State Assembly only settled down when Tungku assemblyman Assafal Alian stood to pose his supplementary question.
Earlier, Abidin said the number of hardcore poor people in the e-Kasih system has decreased by 89.9 percent compared to last year.
Based on dynamic data from the e-Kasih database, there are 1,464 heads of household (KIRs) as of February 28, compared to the 14,553 KIRs recorded as of February 29 last year.
The state government expects that the distribution of the Syukur aid, which has been credited since February 17, will see a decrease in the number of poor and hardcore poor in the e-Kasih system.
Furthermore, the state government continues to strive to ensure that the hardcore poor who have changed their status remain above the poverty line.
“The state government’s efforts to eradicate poverty and hardcore poverty in Sabah continue to be implemented in the Poverty and Hardcore Poverty Eradication Program Phase Two in 2025, through the Syukur programme.
“For the first time, a total of RM358.4 million has been allocated for the Syukur aid, which is a monthly RM300 financial assistance to the poor and hardcore poor for a year.
“This programme is a sign of the government’s concern for those in need by easing the financial burden of recipients, especially to obtain basic daily needs.
“The Syukur programme will benefit 100,000 recipients throughout Sabah, where payments will be made in four phases, namely January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December, with a lump sum payment for three months totaling RM900,” said Abidin.
Efforts are also underway to ensure that eligible recipients are not left out from the e-Kasih system, as the state government has developed the Sabah State Database System (PADANS) so that anyone who is left out and is eligible for this assistance can apply online through this system.
In addition, the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Secretariat is also collaborating with grassroots leaders such as the Community Development Leader Unit (UPPM) and district officers in identifying KIRs in their respective districts who are left out and are eligible to receive this assistance.
