MCA ‘sabotaging’ Penang’s poverty eradication programme

The Penang state government today produced evidence to back its claim that the MCA has been unduly meddling in its state-wide poverty eradication programme.

State Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh showed reporters a copy of an official state letter issued by a local welfare office signed by an MCA-appointed assistant welfare officer.

The letter, issued through the Welfare Department's Seberang Perai Utara office, gave instructions to poverty aid applicants to go to Bagan MCA's service centre with their personal documents for further action.

"This is treason," Phee said after a press conference in the Chief Minister’s office here. "They have exploited a state government letterhead for their own publicity."

Phee also showed a copy of a letter signed by the same officer in Mandarin, with the letterhead having the state crest replaced by an MCA logo.

"This is an official state project. How can they throw the state crest and substitute it with their own party logo?" he asked.

He said he had received complaints from people that they were scolded when they tried to process their applications.

Phee had on Feb 25 claimed that MCA members contracted to work as assistant welfare officers in Penang had cast aside aid forms submitted by hardcore poor applicants.

He said forms with supporting signatures by Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen were ignored, and applicants were told to get signatures of Barisan Nasional representatives instead.

He also claimed that on at least one occasion, the form was torn in the presence of the applicant.

In response, Penang MCA deputy chairman Eng Hiap Boon accused the state administration of trying to focus the blame on MCA for the delay in meeting its self-imposed March 8 deadline to remove hardcore poverty in the state.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen also told a press conference on Friday that if Phee's allegations were true,  he should come up with the proof, or apologise for what he said.

It is understood that the MCA appointees were stationed in the state's welfare offices in October through Ng, who is also MCA vice-president.