MELAKA: The move by DAP in spreading claims that the Chinese community was being sidelined in Budget 2022 was totally misleading and uncalled for, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       The Transport Minister said such a tactic was a cheap way of fanning Chinese sentiment in the state election.

       “I would like to refute such allegations that have gone viral on social media.

       “They keep harping on this, claiming that the Chinese community only received 0.1% of the total allocation, which is wrong.

       “What they picked was only one part in the Budget while many other things that also benefit the Chinese were left out.

       “When we take into account other allocations, we can clearly see that what DAP claimed was not right,” he told reporters on Friday (Nov 19).

       Dr Wee then spelt out some of the allocations that have also benefitted the Chinese community to counter the claims.

       “For example, the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat has benefitted 503,487 Chinese families, 377,633 Chinese senior citizens aged over 60 and 705,178 Chinese who are single.

       “All these represent 18.97% of the total population, which is also close to the Chinese population in Malaysia.

       “This clearly shows there is no gap in the government’s allocation,” he said.

       Under the RM20bil for the Wage Subsidy Programme, Dr Wee said RM15bil has benefited the Chinese community, which has the most number of people doing business.

       “We must realise that the government allocation is not race-based and everyone is accounted for," he said.

       Reiterating that claims of the Chinese community being sidelined was wrong, Dr Wee also said a total of 28.69% of the one-off aid recipients of RM3,000 each under Prihatin Special Grant (GKP) for micro small and medium enterprises were Chinese.

       “For the Special Relief Facility (SRF) for Covid-19 that have been upsized to RM10bil, some 80% were given to the Chinese, as most of the SMEs are owned by them.

       “It would be wrong and unreasonable to keep saying that the Chinese community only received 0.1% from the government.

       “They only highlighted the RM200mil that has been allocated for the Chinese community for the purpose of upgrading Chinese new villages, as well as financing schemes for the SME,” he said.

       Dr Wee also urged DAP to stop fanning the emotions of the Chinese community just to win votes for the state polls because the government is doing its best for the people.