KUALA LUMPUR: Non-governmental organisations want a clearer picture of the new regulations on the distribution of aid to the needy during the Movement Control Order period.
They believe that the directive, while well-meaning, has raised more questions than answers.
Kechara Soup Kitchen operations director Justin Cheah welcomed the move but said he was unclear how it would work if only two representatives were allowed to handle the distribution.
“Are the two persons allowed to participate in the distribution of food to the recipients? Or are they only involved in handing over the aid to the Welfare Department representatives?
“We understand that the National Security Council is concerned about people’s wellbeing. However, it has to consider the logistics issues we face as well.
“We need to cook food for 200 to 300 people. Is that process included in the two-person limit.”
Cheah said they had yet to receive any official communication from the authorities.
Dapur Jalanan Kuala Lumpur, which feeds the homeless in the city, said it had not received official updates from the Welfare Department or the Women and Family Ministry.
Its director, Rezzuandi Ngadi, said he learnt about the new directive via a WhatsApp message sent by a friend.
In Johor Baru, Malaysian Red Crescent’s National Committee for Community Services deputy chairman Datuk Mohd Rashidi Mohd Nor said the agency was allowed by the district Welfare Department to continue feeding the homeless here, with aid from the police.
“This is because we know where to distribute the food to those in need.”