Disabled alleges being robbed of welfare aid by YB’s secretary

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CONCERNED: Leon visiting Ho (left) to learn more of the problem.

CONCERNED: Leon visiting Ho (left) to learn more of the problem.

KUCHING: A disabled man, Ho Tiong Hwa, from Jalan Kapitan, Sri Aman, claimed he has been robbed of his welfare financial aid by the secretary of an assistant minister.

The incident started in October last year when Ho’s sister, having returned from Kuala Lumpur for the holidays, brought him to the Welfare Department to be registered and given aid.

To their dismay, they found that Ho had been receiving aid for many years from the department and was still receiving it; the money banked into his Bank Simpanan Nasional account.

Ho, being disabled and in shock, had no recollection of having opened a bank account with BSN Sri Aman branch. Ho and his siblings proceeded to the Sri Aman Police Station to file a
police report to block the account.

At the BSN Sri Aman branch, after printing and going through the many statements, Ho and his siblings was shocked to find that the total amount of money banked into the account under his name totalled RM26,108.

The bank officers helped Ho go through their CCTV on who was the person who took the last withdrawal from the ATM. They were all shocked to find that the culprit was the personal secretary of an assistant minister.

The Welfare Department banks in RM250 into Ho’s account every month.

This person would wait for the money to accumulate for many months before withdrawing it.

They tried to confront the person who kept denying it. According to Ho, he remembered approaching this person for help to apply for
aid from the Welfare Department.

After receiving some cash for three months, Ho was told by this person that the cash aid from the Welfare was stopped.

Little did Ho know that this person had used his name to open a bank account with BSN and kept the ATM card and bank book himself.

Ho and his siblings, after months of discussion, decided to seek the help of DAP Sri Aman to help him.

DAP Sri Aman chief Leon Jimat Donald said yesterday the party has looked at all possible legal options available to Ho.

He said a letter has been written to the Sri Aman District Police Chief, requesting the police to acquire a copy of the CCTV from the BSN Sri Aman to expedite the investigation and use it as evidence in court.

“I am utterly shocked and disgusted by what the act of this irresponsible person. How can this person even think of stealing from a poor disabled man and to compound it all, Ho is a strong supporter of this person’s boss,” said Leon.

“I would like to advise the public in Sri Aman especially if they have disabled (OKU) family members receiving but later stopped receiving welfare  aid to check their status with the Welfare Department, as we do not want them to be cheated. Please file a complaint with DAP Sri Aman if anything irregular is discovered,” he added.