KUALA LUMPUR: The special aid for fishermen in Tanjung Piai was to fulfil the wishes of the late Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, the constituency’s parliamentarian who died in September.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said it was incumbent on the government to fulfil what had been promised by Dr Farid.
“As ministers, we can give the aid at any time, as long as it benefits the people.
“(And) as a responsible government, we cannot wait for others to assist them,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat to a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian), who asked if the aid could be considered a violation of election laws.
Salahuddin said various parties may have different interpretations on the aid, and it was best to let the courts to decide on the matter.
On Sunday, Salahuddin had announced allocation for the three fishing jetties, worth RM3 million, and it was intended to boost the economy and improve the livelihoods of fishermen and other locals.
The allocation also provides for basic facilities such as refrigerated storage and stalls for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Yesterday, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal announced RM1.5 million allocation for fishermen in southern Johor after a state exco meeting in Iskandar Puteri.
He said the special aid would be paid directly to the fishermen in three phases, starting next week and dismissed claims that this special payment was an "election goodie".
A total of 1,513 fishermen will benefit from the aid. From the total, 432 are in Gelang Patah, 537 in Pasir Gudang and Johor Baru, and 544 in Pontian and Tanjung Piai.
