‘Keep politics and community service separate’

by Jonathan Chia, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 10, 2012, Friday

DISPUTED: The banner put up by the superiors of several Mile 10 Rela

members helping to rebuild Ng’s house claiming the project is the sole

effort of Rela.

KUCHING: Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen has urged the state’s People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) not to marry politics and community service when providing assistance to the people.Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said as a volunteer corps, Rela was responsible to help those who are in need irrespective of their political leanings.

He said this when commenting on an incident at about 10am yesterday where a group of Mile 10 Rela members were questioned by their superiors for helping DAP rebuild the house of Ng Hon Fah who lost his house in a fire at Kampung Kudei.

Chong added the Rela superiors also put up a banner claiming that the rebuilding of Ng’s house was solely a Rela project.

Chong made it clear that the money for rebuilding Ng’s house was donated by the public after he held a press conference to appeal for assistance from the public to help Ng and his family rebuild their house.

“After that, we were approached by the Mile 10 Rela members who offered to help this family to rebuild their house. This (yesterday) morning, without a clear understanding of what had transpired, these Rela superiors approach one of our party workers and said if DAP wanted to claim credit for this project, Rela would take away all the building materials,” he explained.

Chong stated that the Rela superiors did not have the right to take away the building materials as they were bought using the public’s money.

‘The people donated their monies to us (DAP) and we have been entrusted to buy the building material. As for Rela, they are just helping Ng and his family to rebuild the house,” he added.

Chong said if the Rela superiors insisted in taking away the building materials from the site, the party would not be hesitate to lodge a police report.

He also said that he would personally write a letter to the state Rela director on this matter.

Chong stated that despite the incident, the Mile 10 Rela members had given him their assurance that they would continue to help rebuild the house until it is fully completed.

“They said they will continue to help rebuild the house and we (DAP) will deal with the their superiors,” he added.

Meanwhile, Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei said the incident would not cause any harm to DAP, one of the contributors for this project.

“As far as DAP is concern, we only act on the principle that Ng needs the help from the society to rebuild his house to accommodate his family of eight,” he stated.

Wong said all the party wanted to do was to complete the rebuilding project and as to who wanted to claim they are the contributor for the project let them go ahead.

He said what DAP would not tolerate the threat to remove the building materials because it involved the public’s money and DAP is accountable for it.

“I see that there is political motive behind this incident which has been initiated by our political rival. To us this is not a political issue,” Wong added.