MALAYSIAN SYSTEM OF MANAGING DONATIONS

Tsunami Aids

REPORTED BY INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

4TH. JANUARY 2005

TSUNAMI IMPACT: Malaysian Gov't Playing Politics With Aid?
Anil Netto

Record humanitarian aid might be pouring in for victims of Asia's tsunami disaster, but critics here have accused the Malaysian government of delaying the distribution of badly needed emergency supplies to survivors in Malaysia's coastal areas, northwest of the peninsula.

''There are mattresses and blankets piled up to the ceiling in the relief centers, but they (the authorities) are waiting for some big-shot government politician to come and distribute them, so that everyone gets media publicity,'' said an angry Saiful Izham, a relief worker with the Merbok Community Development Center in Kedah.

Some 4,200 people are still at eight relief centers in Kedah, said Saiful, and they have not been allowed to return home yet. Over 1,000 homes in seven villages in the state have been affected with almost 500 homes either badly damaged or destroyed, when an undersea quake in the northernmost tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island spawned tsunamis which tore through the Indian Ocean coastlines the day after Christmas.

Out of 100 fishermen at this village, about half are members of the local fishermen's association. ''They (the fishermen's association) only promised aid to their members,'' Salim laughs, derisively. ''In contrast, the Buddhists didn't care whether we, Muslims, were members or not when they gave us aid.'' Some fishermen claim that aid is being channelled to victims through politicians from the ruling United Malays National Organisation.

Aziz Kassim, a trader from the same village, looks annoyed. ''Aid should go directly to the victims wherever they are in Malaysia,'' he insisted. ''We don't want what has happened here to happen elsewhere.''

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said survivors of the tsunami in Malaysia will have to wait for aid until the government undertakes a full evaluation of losses, which could take ''more than two to three weeks''.

He said the exercise would determine disbursement of disaster-relief funds now being collected by various parties, so that aid can be distributed fairly and to the right people.

''There is some perception on the ground that there is a lot of money coming in, but there is a delay, (with people wondering) why we are not distributing it and so on,'' Datuk Seri Najib was quoted as telling the national news agency 'Bernama'. ''The money will be distributed, but we have to do a proper evaluation of the losses.''

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT:

As Malaysians, we must bear with the Governmental system especially in managing aids and donations from the public. Our politicians and Ministers have a lot of works to do (they are very busy) and they also have to make absolutely sure that the aids reach the 'Right" people who 'SUFFERED". The Government wants to make sure that the money is PROPERLY DISTRIBUTED" AFTER A PROPER EVALUATION OF THE LOSSES. Under contracts Act 1950, "Any loss and damages" must be proved and those seeking the compensation must provide adequate evidence that they had actually suffered loss and/or damages. Although the aids and donations may not be under the jurisdiction of the Contracts Act 1950, but somehow, our system is tuned to it - THATS HOW WE BEHAVE AND THAT'S OUR POLITICAL CONVENTION - PARLIAMENTARY SUPREMACY & POLITICAL PREROGATIVE!!!

I was pondering:

"What if the aids is sponsored by the Government money - Will there be a setup of a new steering committee with a bureaucratical system that consists of the following flow requirement of documentation:

Conduct survey, conduct risk analysis, prepare qualitative analysis, prepare quantitative analysis, submit recommendations, get approval,prepare response development, submit further documentations, wait for review, wait for sign-off, get the next line of approval, ready for disbursement ... but wait a while ..... executives need to get appointment from relevant Ministers to officiate the disbursement functions, start preparing ceremony, sent invitation card to international guests and then finally, GIVE THE CHEQUE TO THE VICTIMS ($500), and of course, PHOTOGRAPIC SESSION AND PUBLISH IN THE NEWSPAPER AND WEBSITES.

Its afortiori that public donations will take 3 weeks, ministerial aids will need more time, maybe 3 months, or 3 years? It's just a hypothetical equation - and probably I may be wrong; I think so!

Dear Victims, Anyway, be patient. Pray a lot and pray more as you have the time since you are waiting. This is our Malaysia Boleh Ideology and Cekap, Bersih, dan Amanah - or - Cemerlang, Gemilang dan Terbilang! To interpret:

Cekap - we have to do it right first time; so we must be absolutely sure we plan it thoroughly and prepare detailed action plans.

Bersih - we want to make sure that it is fully distributed to the right people.

Amanah - Trustworthiness is very very important. The people who donated only trust politicians to disbursed it to the right people. That's why they are elected by the people, for the people, to help the people.

Cemerlang - We know we can only do an excellent job if we do it slowly and steadily.

Gemilang - We need to get glory for the glorious act and to be glorified.

Terbilang - $17 million is a lot of money; so we have to count it for a few times and to make sure there's no arithmetical mistake.