By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, July 13: Politicking over food aid initiatives is not welcome during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the main intention behind such initiatives is to help those in need.
Pemanca Dato John Tiong Tak Chong noted that certain quarters have raised some issues pertaining to how his team had worked together with the Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions to channel the aid.
To this, he said there was no need to make a big deal out of such a trivial matter as the food aid is given to the needy, regardless of race and religion.
“We don’t need the interpretation where this food aid is coming from. In this dire situation, the Association extended help to assist the community. When we give out food aid, we are not playing politics,” he said during a press conference at Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching Branch office in Jalan Sungai Padungan here today.
Meanwhile, SUPP Kuching Branch chairwoman Datuk Lily Yong informed that she is leading a group of volunteers in initiating the Kuching Eateries Hotline project to assist eatery operators around Kuching increase their sales and reduce customers’ waiting time.
“This Kuching Eateries Hotline project has nothing to do with the political parties. In this project, we have our volunteers going to the ground visiting over 300 shops so far, to explain to the hawkers and stall owners about our intention to help them print the hotline, promoting their businesses and contact numbers.
“With such effort, the customers can call up the premises first to order food and do not need to queue up too long for take-aways. From then on, we would be able to minimise traffic congestion as well as reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission,” she said.
She added that the group is printing out 10,000 copies of the Kuching Eateries Hotline and will distribute them at banks, pharmacies and other places frequented by the members of the public.
During the press conference, the Kuching Division Community Association represented by Temenggong Datuk Tan Joo Phoi and Tiong also handed over a certificate of appreciation and a plaque to the East Malaysia regional manager of Bank of China, Zhang Hong Kun, who will be returning to serve his home country China next week.
“For the last nine years, Zhang has contributed a lot especially for the economic activities between businessmen in Sarawak and China. He’s quite familiar among the Chinese communities in Kuching and Sarawak,” he said.
Among Zhang’s contributions were the idea of establishing sister cities between Sarawak and China. Through the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching, the dream finally came true.
At present, Sarawak has established sister provinces and state with Fujian, Yunnan, and Shandong provinces in China and 26 Chinese cities including Quanzhou and Yantai have also established the relation of sister cities with Sarawak.
Apart from that, Zhang had also given a personal donation amounting to more than RM30,000 to the development of economic activities in Sarawak.
Through him, the Bank had also donated more than RM50,000 to Chinese associations to be distributed to the people from various sectors, as well as medical equipment worth RM200,000 for Sibu during the Covid-19 pandemic. — DayakDaily
