KUCHING, June 2: PKN Sarawak chairwoman Nurhanim Mokshen thinks PBB is overreacting when there is nothing to be ‘kan cheong’ or anxious about the community-based NGO.
“PKN (Penggerak Komuniti Negara) was set up very much with the welfare needs of the community at heart and to complement efforts by the authorities to provide necessary assistance in whatever forms and reach out to communities in need.
“Why is (Datuk) Idris Buang so ‘kan cheong’ about the PKN NGO (non-governmental organisation) in Sarawak? His recent statement is not necessary,” she asserted in a statement today.
Nurhanim was responding to Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Datuk Idris Buang who had voiced out his views against the setting up of PKN in Sarawak.
Idris viewed that such a body has political objectives but is masquerading as an NGO or something else, and should not be allowed in Sarawak like the Federal Village Community Management Council (MPKKP) which failed to take off following the fall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
Nurhanim disclosed that when the Covid-19 pandemic reached Malaysia and Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced, PKN had assisted with arranging for and distributing food aid to the poorer sections of the community in Sarawak facing problems with putting meals on the table.
“Close to 10,000 food aid baskets were distributed to the identified poor families.
“As we have stated in our earlier statement, PKN is not a new NGO and many community activities have been carried out all over Sarawak since 2019 to support and benefit many Sarawakians,” she added.
Apart from food aid, she pointed out that PKN also contributed to the community through the ‘Back to School 2020’ programme which benefitted a few thousand poor families.
“We have been around for some time. I don’t see any reason for Idris Buang to be too ‘kan cheong’ and I also humbly seek his moral support.
“I hope that the welfare of the community will not be politicised as it is people’s interests that will be compromised,” she added.
Meanwhile, Idris, who is also Muara Tuang assemblyman, had highlighted that the setting up of such bodies must observe the laws of Sarawak.
He emphasised that the federal ministry concerned will have to go through the Sarawak government before even thinking of setting such bodies up in Sarawak. — DayakDaily
