Monday, March 1, 2010

RM100 for Indians, RM150 for Chinese - Why this discrimination by BN in Temerloh?

RM100 for Indians, RM150 for Chinese - Why this discrimination by BN in Temerloh?

Well, with regard to that gathering of old-folks in Temerloh Parliamentary constituency, area for the purpose of receiving government allocation/contribution for Chinese New Year and Deepavali, only the Malaysian of Chinese and Indian origins were invited. 

And, there was discrimination between what the Indians received, and what the Chinese elders (Warga Mas - Golden Citizens) received.

RM100 for the Malaysian Indians

RM150 for the Malaysian Chinese..

Why? Why is the UMNO-led BN government practicing discrimination based on the ethnicity/origins of one's forefathers?

S0, when they call the Malaysian Malay old folks to receive their Hari Raya contributions, how many will they be given? RM200...RM250...RM500...RM1,000? 

Will the Orang Asli get anything? 

The letters were issued by the Temerloh District Office, and as mentioned earlier, the monies could have just came with the letters without requiring our aging fathers and mother going to the Dewan on a very hot afternoon, and having to wait for about 3 hours plus just to receive RM100 (If Indian) and RM150(If Chinese) [See earlier post:-BN tidak hormati Warga Mas - Warga Mas diminta pergi Dewan, tunggu 3 jam, tanpa air minum, untuk 'sumbangan' RM100 selepas dengar ucapan YB.

The lack of transparency has led to a lot of questions and speculations, and some of the things that I have heard are:-
* Actually, the government gave RM500 to be given to every old folk (i.e. those 65 and above) but the MCA and the MIC took some for themselves, and MCA gave the Chinese RM150, but MIC took more and gave the Indians only RM100.

* Actually the government allocated RM1,000 to be given to every old folk (i.e. those 65 and above) but the BN politicians took a lot and only gave a token sum to the people. I heard that in Klang, they got RM500 - do not know why in Temerloh only RM150/RM100...

* The money is given only for the old folks (i.e. those 65 and above), who voted for the BN [or are BN party members], and that is the reason why many old people did not receive the money...

* Surely, there were a lot of old folks that day who were not even from Temerloh area that took the money since the envelopes did not contain the names of the recepient - surely the BN people also took a lot of the money. I am certain that if you looked at the accounts, they would say they gave out maybe 10 or 20 times more than was given out.

* They wanted to pocket the money that was allocated for all the old people of Temerloh (i.e. 65 and above), and that is why they just did not send to all those old people in Temerloh(using maybe the Electoral Roll) to their own address with a check/wang pos in the name of the old people. That way there will be proper records, and difficult to 'put some money in your own pocket'. Now, you call them to come to the hall in Mentakab - only a small number will be able to come --- so you pocket the money of all who did not come. Some would never have been invited - and these also you can pocket the money [How? Cash was given - so no records of who actually received - if wang pos/check, then it will be in the name of the old folks - more difficult to take the money for your own.
* I am sure the government would not have allocated just RM100 (for Indians) and RM150 (for Chinese) because Najib is now talking about 1Malaysia - and surely all will have received the same allocation.


* I am sure the BN government would not have been so mean, and given so little - Taking a Taxi to get to the hall, and to go back itself cost about RM30-RM40, and lunch and drinks would have cost about RM10- and surely, it is non-sense to just give people RM100...RM150. It is so cruel. A reasonable sum would have been RM1,200 (i.e. about RM100 per month) or maybe even RM600 as times are bad.
* What was that money for? I do not know. How much did the UMNO-led BN government allocate for each warga mas? I do not know. How much of the allocated money were wrongly pocketed by the BN ppolitical parties and politicians? I do not know. 
This is the problem with a lack of transparency - openness and information. There will always be a lot of speculation. And people always think that someone has taken money allocated for the people ...i.e. that there has been some corruption. 

The UMNO-led BN government must immediately disclose how much money was allocated for each Warga Mas in Temerloh? Was there a different amount allocated for Chinese and Indians, and if so, why? 

Are we living in an 'apartheid' kind of system in Malaysia? Are there different 'classes of people' based on ethnicity/descendants/forefathers country of origin/religion/...

OR are we really 1Malaysia - where there is only 1 Malaysian, and all are treated equally irrespective of where one's forefather came from (or when they came to Malaysia).

This is after all just a small thing that happened in Temerloh, where our MP is a Minister(or Deputy Minister), and there is one MCA ADUN and one UMNO ADUN. [There is one PAS ADUN - but, I believe he was not involved in this matter at all - as he was not from the BN]

Najib, explain the discrimination, ....and if there was no such discrimination, please clarify matters as this happens in Temerloh, a district in your home state, Pahang...

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