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KUCHING, Aug 9: Letting Kuching Food Festival (KFF) stall operators who donate the most to charities to choose their stall location for the next KFF is referred to as an incentive, not a ‘kidnapping’, and the donations are voluntary, asserted Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng.
This is in reference to a Facebook post by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong, who on Monday (Aug 7) shared a MBKS notice about the Council collecting donations from 2023 KFF stall operators for charity.
“Is this not kidnapping the stall holders?” Yong asked in the post, pointing to the part of the notice that said ‘the highest donation from donors for half, single, premium and double food stalls category and beer stall will be automatically invited to choose their stall position in the next Kuching Festival Fair.’
At a press conference held today at MBKS to receive sponsorship for KFF, Wee hit back at Yong by saying, “First, if you donate the most, you will have the privilege to choose your stall position in the next KFF, which is known as an incentive. How is this ‘kidnapping’? It sounds funny to me because I don’t think it has anything to do with this.
“Second, this donation has not only been ongoing this year, but also for the past two decades. Why are you targeting me 20 years later? Is there anything wrong with encouraging people to make charitable contributions?”
He went on to say that the Council encourages more people to donate, which is why they give stall operators who donate the most priority in choosing their stall positions for the next KFF as an incentive.
“You may also choose not to donate. We don’t force you. You wish to give RM10, which we can also collect,” he added.
In addition, Wee emphasised that the total amount of the donations will be distributed to 18 charitable organisations.
“If you are targeting the mayor, I’ve already said many times, just come to MBKS office and talk to the mayor, rather than just monitor what the mayor is doing. Rather than monitoring the mayor, do something for the people who voted for you to be their representative. Don’t create hatred in this loving and caring society, which we are trying hard to maintain,” Wee responded to Yong. — DayakDaily
