More than a dozen people were photographed queuing for all kinds of assistance, including financial, outside a service center in Muar, Johor yesterday.
They were largely people who had either lost their jobs or suffered pay cuts and had nowhere else to turn to for help, according to Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 28, who shared photos of the scene on Twitter.
He said that the “situation on the ground was getting from bad to worse” as the long-drawn-out pandemic, hampered by political instability, continues to ravage the economy.
According to Syed Saddiq, “they said they do not have anywhere else to go.”
The co-founder of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance said he had collected nearly RM250,000 (about US$50,000) in donations in two weeks and would be handing them out through his Sejiwa package comprising medicines, food and other required commodities during the lockdown. Since June 1, the relief package went to Muar residents who have had to starve during the total lockdown.
A thousand families were given food as well as help to register for vaccines and travel to vaccination centres, he said.
Malaysia has set aside a total of RM45 billion for COVID-19 relief. The recent nationwide total lockdown has hampered multiple business sectors that have not been allowed to operate, including filming and education sectors.
Since the pandemic began, Malaysia has reported nearly 670,000 cases and 4,069 deaths. Around 1% of the population has completed vaccination.
Tak putus putus orang datang ke pejabat minta bantuan.
Situation on the ground is getting from bad to worse.
Mereka kata tiada tempat lain nak pergi.
Ramai yang baru hilang kerja atau gaji dipotong.
I will never leave them standing alone.
I will do all that i can to help! pic.twitter.com/e7fJ6T3IyC
— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) June 15, 2021
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