BAU: Community leaders in Tasik Biru are free to seek allocations from Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol, says Datuk Henry Harry Jinep.
The Tasik Biru assemblyman dismissed claims made by Mordi during the Tuak Talk podcast that local community leaders had been prevented from approaching him for funding, describing the allegation as political rhetoric aimed at gaining public sympathy.
He said community leaders had every right to seek assistance from Mordi, who is also Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, and had never been discouraged from doing so.
“Many village chiefs have already received allocations from him and informed me about it. I told them it was okay.
“He won the seat, he is part of the federal government and he has allocations. I told them not to miss the opportunity because the people gave him the victory and expect something from him,” he said when speaking to reporters after briefing PDP members from the Tasik Biru constituency at the Tasik Biru Service Centre here last night.
The Tasik Biru assemblyman said he was surprised by Mordi’s claim that he had instructed people to monitor community leaders who visited the MP’s office and would take action against them.
“What would I do to the village chiefs? What authority do I have over them?” he asked.
Henry said Mordi should act professionally and communicate directly with community leaders over the distribution of allocations.
“If the people expect allocations from their MP, there is no problem because he has the funds and the people are counting on him.
“But to portray me as the obstacle is unfair. If he wants to gain sympathy, he should do so appropriately,” he said.
Henry also said the allegation contradicted Mordi’s earlier statement that the RM4 million annual allocation for the Mas Gading parliamentary constituency was insufficient compared with the RM9 million received by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblymen.
“If he admits that he cannot carry out development on the same scale as GPS assemblymen, then he should say that his allocation is insufficient instead of claiming that we are obstructing him.
“He says his allocation is insufficient, but at the same time claims that I am stopping him. If I were not stopping him, would his allocation suddenly be enough? It would be even more insufficient.
“He is contradicting himself. If I am supposedly blocking access to the allocation, where has that allocation gone?” he said.
