KUCHING: The opposition leaders who had accused Education, Science and Technological Research Assistant Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee of controlling the Covid-19 relief funds failed to turn up at a rendezvous yesterday.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said Dr Annuar had personally invited his accusers to come to Sibu divisional disaster committee’s office at 10am.
She said Dr Annuar had prepared a press conference and asked the opposition leaders to be present so that they can see for themselves that the fund worth RM1 million was banked into the committee’s bank account instead of Dr Annuar service centre’s account.
“But they didn’t show up,” she told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
The opposition leaders had accused Dr Annuar for controlling the funds which included monies for four constituencies held by the opposition namely, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Pelawan and Bawang Assan.
However, Dr Annuar denied the funds were deposited into his service centre’s bank account and said the funds were actually channelled to the Sibu divisional disaster management committee led by Sibu Resident Charles Siaw.
This was echoed by Fatimah who stressed she had stated in her previous press statements dated April 6 and 8 whereby “the modus operandi on food supply (identification of target groups, purchase, distribution and transportation), is centrally coordinated and managed by the Divisional/District Disaster Committee (DDC), in collaboration with the Sarawak Welfare Department, the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM), Rela and other related government agencies, the ADUN/MP Service Centres, and the relevant NGOs”.
“The modus operandi is very clear. Dr Annuar doesn’t handle the money. It is handled by the DDC headed by the Resident,” she reiterated.
