KINABATANGAN: Complaints over selective distribution of government aid remain a major concern among residents in Lamag, with calls for a fairer and more transparent system gaining prominence during the by-election period.
Warisan’s candidate for Lamag, Mazliwati Abd Malek Chua said grievances over what villagers describe as “bantuan pilih kasih” were repeatedly raised during her engagements with residents, particularly in rural areas where communities depend heavily on government assistance.
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According to Mazliwati, selective aid often occurs when requests pass through multiple intermediaries, creating room for favouritism and exclusion.
“Many of the problems start when assistance has to go through too many layers. By the time it reaches the leadership, decisions may already have been influenced by who someone knows,” she said.
To address this, she said, if given the mandate, she plans to introduce a direct reporting and complaint mechanism that would allow residents to submit requests and grievances straight to their elected representative, bypassing middlemen and enabling clearer tracking of cases.
She said each application for aid should be documented, verified and followed up transparently, adding that the absence of clear channels had left many residents feeling ignored or sidelined.
Mazliwati said complaints involving housing assistance were among the most sensitive issues raised by villagers, including cases where entire villages were affected by fires but aid distribution was perceived to be uneven.
“These are situations where people are already vulnerable. When aid is seen as selective, it deepens frustration and distrust,” she said.
She added that similar concerns were raised over land-related matters, particularly involving residents who were relocated but later found themselves without clear resettlement arrangements or follow-up support.
Mazliwati stressed that solving the issue was not simply about increasing allocations, but about ensuring assistance was distributed fairly and based on genuine need.
She said an elected assemblyman has a responsibility to represent all residents, not only supporters, and that restoring confidence in aid distribution was essential for rebuilding trust at the grassroots level.
Meanwhile, Mazliwati said the perception that only government-aligned representatives could help residents was misplaced, stressing that the core duty of an elected assemblyman was to bring issues to the relevant authorities.
“Whether you are from the government or the opposition, the role is the same – to carry the people’s voice and pursue their cases with the departments involved,” she said.
She added that the key difference lay not in political position, but in commitment and follow-through.
“If a representative is serious about the cases raised by the people and keeps pushing them, help can still be delivered,” she said, adding that residents should not feel their concerns would be ignored simply because their representative was in the opposition.
