BAGAN DATUK: Aid programmes for the people must be rendered even during off polls season.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in making the call to all government machinery said such programmes must schedule continuously all year long.
The Barisan Nasional deputy chairman and Umno vice president said aid should not only reach target groups during election season.
"We should not treat the matter like we do during the harvest season.
"All Umno and government machinery must schedule such programmes to be carried out even when it is not the election season.
"We must care for the people at all times," Zahid said in his speech to open 'Umno Bantu Rakyat 2.0' and National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) community event programmes in Sungai Sumun here.
Also present were Umno Supreme member and party welfare bureau chairman Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and state exco Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya, who is also the Rungkup state assemblyman.
Some 5,000 people from the district who visited the event also received aid in forms of food packs and free accounts under the 1Malaysia National Education Savings Scheme.
"We must not limit the extension of aid, and that it is only to be given today. We must help all households, poor or otherwise, to receive help. All of them must receive aid from the Umno welfare bureau."
Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk member of Parliament, said all BN component parties must emulate Umno's approach in extending aid all regardless of race and religion.
He pointed out that all BN components were set up to assist all Malaysians.
