PAS has called out DAP for handing out mock cheques bearing the party’s logo for donations made out to several schools in Ipoh, Perak.
In a statement published on Harakah Daily, National PAS information department director-general Zurk Ahmad said DAP has acted immorally by using government funds for the party’s own political mileage.
“Where is the good governance that [Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim] has preached about in his series of political speeches every day?” he asked.
“Are ministers in the [Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) or Madani era] allowed to use the people’s money alongside with the government’s money for DAP’s political campaigns within government premises?”
“What exactly is the 10th Prime Minister’s good governance policy all about? Is this the type of reform to governance desired by PMX, PKR and DAP?”
On Saturday (Aug 19), it was reported that 17 Chinese primary and secondary schools in Perak were granted an allocation of RM1.8 mil from the Education Ministry for repair and upgrading work.
Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming, who is also Perak DAP chairman, was present to hand over the mock cheques to the schools.
Photos of the donation presentation posted on social media showed mock cheques bearing the DAP logo alongside logos of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Malaysia Madani as well as Malaysia’s coat of arms.
“What is more troubling is that PH supporters who have been opposing certain corrupted UMNO leaders to the point they are willing to go up against the police in the name of good governance have gone quiet and are allowing the people’s money to be used by the DAP minister for the political interests of the party,” Zurk continued.
“Are cries for reform, justice, integrity and transparency merely political rhetoric to attract votes, because in reality DAP and PH are no different from these corrupted UMNO leaders?”
UMNO Youth had similarly taken DAP and PH to task over the matter, with its chief Dr Akmal Saleh taking to Facebook to condemn the use of party logos and calling on Nga to provide an explanation.
“Is this contribution from the government? And if it’s from the government, what does the DAP logo have to do with the mock cheques? Don’t be stupid when you become a minister,” he said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, MCA deputy information chief Wong Siew Mun said Nga was politicising government allocations, adding that political parties could contribute separately to schools if they wished.
“A minister is a representative of the people,” said Wong, adding that the display of party logos was to deceive the people into thinking that the money came from Nga or DAP.
“If the money was contributed by PH and DAP, we would all be excited, but the media reports say the allocation is from the government.
“Is Nga’s action in line with the political reforms announced by PH?” she asked, adding that the government should focus on solving the people’s problems instead of seeking cheap publicity.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Nga had mixed political party symbols with government allocations.
Recall that in 2019, during PH’s previous tenure in power MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had criticised Nga for handing over a mock cheque for government allocations to a Chinese school bearing the PH logo. – Aug 23, 2023
Main pic credit: Twitter/Nga Kor Ming
