KUCHING, June 6: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said many elected representatives from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) have been trying to assist their constituents via various means throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
He disclosed that since March 2020, he had provided financial assistance worth more than RM50,000 to many daily paid workers.
“I have given financial assistance to many daily paid workers since Covid-19, since March 2020, worth more than RM50K. These daily paid workers live from hand to mouth — ‘kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang’,” said Masing in a statement today.
He believed that many of his colleagues in GPS are doing the same but they kept quiet about their good deeds.
“I am doing it and my other colleagues are doing it. But we all kept quiet about it. There is no need to blow the trumpet. As human beings, it was just natural that we help other human beings in need. It is just a natural humanitarian response,” said Masing.
Masing believed that the root cause of the rampant misery among the lower income group such as lack of food and other necessities is Covid-19 and that should be tackled to put an end to their misery.
He said since vaccination is the solution, the issue should be tackled at its root where an aggressive inoculation programme should be implemented. Comparatively to vaccination, the movement control order (MCO) is an outdated solution, he opined.
“That is why since vaccines were discovered early last year, I was pushing for the acquisition of the vaccines and to be aggressive with its inoculation programme.
“MCO was an appropriate strategy before vaccines were discovered to stop the spread. But MCO is now outdated.
“We have the tools — the vaccines. Push for the vaccines to be jabbed (sic) and create big enough herd immunity for our economy to function to normalcy.
“Sarawak is doing it right by inoculating as many people as possible,” said Masing who is also the Infrastructure and Port Development Minister. — DayakDaily
