ASAJAYA: White flags should be used by those who really need help and should not be abused for other intentions, reminded Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Abdul Karim, who is also Asajaya assemblyman, said that flying the white flag would allow families to show they needed help during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The suicide rate in Malaysia is really high and at least four people die in one day. This is because they are stressed with life, thinking about their children who are not eating or drinking and other things.
“We sometimes do not know what is going on in their lives at home. So if they really need help, they should fly the white flag,” said Abdul Karim.
He said this at a press conference during “Program Ziarah Belia” at the Asajaya District Office here today (July 3).
He also advised people not to use the white flag to take advantage of public kindness.
“I raise this issue because there are non-government organisations (NGOs) that go around delivering food items and essentials to the needy. People will know if you are using the white flag for bad intentions,” added Abdul Karim.
“If you raise the white flag, your neighbours will know whether you are deceiving the public. There are people who need our help and it will be sad if they cannot get the help they need,” he said
Nevertheless, Abdul Karim said he did not really encourage people to fly the white flag for help.
“Sometimes, they do not need to fly the flag as there are village committees and associations in villages, mosque or church committees and others that help families.
“This is because we have told village committees that if there are families that are really poor, help them,” he said.
Apart from that, the Asajaya assemblyman added that the RM300,000 food baskets announced by the federal government should be channelled to the poor who needed them.
“We hope that the food aid will be sent to those eligible. Not all people have problems.
Abdul Karim welcomed the federal government’s efforts of distributing the food baskets through MPs.
“This method has its own good and bad points, such as giving the aid to supporters only and ignoring the others.
The food aid, he said, should go beyond politics.
“It’s all about helping the poor who really need our help and that’s it,” added Abdul Karim.
