PUTRAJAYA’S decision to stop groups and volunteers from directly distributing food to the poor under the movement control order is badly thought out, said Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy.

He said it was wrong to bar access to food during a national emergency and the move could backfire on the government which is hoping to provide for all those who are in need.

He said while he understood the government’s reason for such stringent measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19, it would be more effective if the government tapped the experience and resources of the volunteer groups.

“NGOs operate on many levels and they are much more knowledgeable about the conditions faced by families and communities,” he said in a statement today.

“The government (should be) drawing upon the services and expertise of these NGOs  (non-governmental organisations) or members of civil society (and) should not exclude them from providing essential services to the needy and the unfortunate.

“While the government might have information at the macro levels, I doubt that it possesses information at the local levels.

“This is why the government should tap into the information and expertise of NGOs in addressing the plight of poor families and communities at the present time of a national emergency,” he said in a statement today.

He added that exclusion of the volunteer groups at a time like this might not be good for the country as a whole.

“The government might not have the financial resources to engage in food distribution, it should count on the assistance of the members of the civil society.

“The government, rather than asking the NGOs to channel materials to government agencies, should work out a strategic plan where both the government agencies and NGOs could cooperate in distributing materials such as food to the affected families and communities.”

Last week Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob barred barred civil society groups from directly distributing food to the needy during the MCO period.

He said they should send their food to the Welfare Department, from which the frontliners would take over the distribution of the contributions.

Civil society groups have objected to the ruling, saying that they could do a better and more effective job in distributing the food directly as they have been doing it all along.
 
Yesterday Ismail said the directive for these groups to channel their food donations to the Welfare Department was to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infections.

He said although many groups were unhappy about the decision, it was one made in the interest of their health and safety.

“I received a lot of feedback from NGOs who were not satisfied with the ruling prohibiting them from giving donations directly to the recipients.

“We are thankful that NGOs are on the front lines with the government in assisting people in times of crisis.

“But if they channel donations to the recipients directly, there is a risk that their members can be infected as we cannot know the health status of the recipients.

“If NGO members get infected, there is a possibility that the virus chain will spread to their family or friends, ” he said.

While the ruling stands, Ismail said he would listen to the views and feedback of various parties, including the NGOs themselves. – March 30, 2020.