A verbal standoff erupted in the Sabah State Assembly on Tuesday as Warisan’s Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong confronted Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Abidin Madingkir over what he claimed was the government’s failure to deliver aid to Sandakan’s poor.
The exchange, laced with shouting, accusations and interjections, highlighted growing discontent from the opposition benches over the government’s cash assistance programmes.
“Every single day, people come to my office asking for money. Where is the SMJ aid? Where is the e-Kasih help? Is it only for party supporters?” Chong asked, his voice rising in frustration.
“People in Sandakan are patient. We love our people. But don’t leave Sandakan behind,” he added, urging Abidin to visit the district and witness the situation for himself.
Madingkir noted he had already delivered a comprehensive reply during the morning’s Q&A session and that breaking down figures by DUN would require 15 more minutes.
But lost his patience when Chong interjected again before he could respond.
“You stood up before I even finished! Please sit down and let me speak!”
“You’re making noise because people are still coming to you for money? That’s normal. I’ve had people come to me too — even after we’ve given out SMJ and SYUKUR. That is our responsibility as elected representatives. So don’t complain,” Madingkir appearing agitated by Chong’s interruptions.
Chong, visibly emotional, continued to press the issue, prompting repeated calls from Speaker Datuk Kadzim M. Yahya for him to sit down.
The tension escalated further when Tanjung Batu assemblyman Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (GRS) fired across the aisle:
“You (Chong) resign! Don’t be a wakil rakyat if you’re not going to serve the people!”
The tense moment further extended when Madingkir drew parallel when Assafal P. Alian (Tungku-Warisan) stood up to assert his additonal question.
Assaffal also raised a similar concern about people in his area being left out of aid programmes despite being among the poorest.
Madingkir began to compare the frustrations raised by both Elopura and Tungku, implying Chong should be more professional when raising his questions like Assafal.
But before he could finish, UMNO-nominated assemblyman Suhaimi Nasir interrupted abruptly, cutting off Abidin with a sharp rebuke:
“No need to waste time with this!” he barked, urging the minister to move on — an interruption that caused audible murmurs across the chamber.
Earlier, Madingkir revealed the full scope of Sabah’s 2025 aid programmes, in response to questions from Kapayan, Nabawan, Tungku, Telupid, Sekong and Elopura.
He said the government had allocated RM358.4 million for the Program Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat Sabah (SYUKUR), providing RM300 monthly for a year to 100,000 poor and hardcore poor recipients. Aid is distributed in four quarterly lump sums, with Phase 1 beginning in February.
As of April 1, 68,238 recipients (95%) had received their payments, while another 3,822 were still undergoing verification.
To ensure broader inclusion, the government introduced the PADANS system, receiving 270,272 new applications by March-end. 85 MySMJ Profilers were deployed across districts to assist with fieldwork.
The number of hardcore poor households has reportedly dropped from 14,553 in February 2024 to just 1,464 a year later.
Madingkir also highlighted five core intervention areas: housing, education, employment, welfare, and entrepreneurship.
Under the Rumah Mesra SMJ initiative, 3,000 new homes will be built in 2025, adding to the 3,875 already completed.
Thirteen education-focused programmes — including AKSA, BAIK, BAKTI, BISBAH and BISTARI — will benefit over 100,000 students this year with a total of RM75.5 million in funding.
He also pointed to job creation through companies like Kibing Group, Sawit Kinabalu, and BTC Berhad, which have committed to hiring locals from poor backgrounds.
The state continues to coordinate with federal bodies including KUSKOP and PERKESO to ensure long-term impact and aid delivery. – April 15, 2025
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