APS and DAP want the names of charities revealed
Published on: Saturday, June 18, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Reform Movement President Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing called on the Federal Government to reveal the names of the charity organisations to which it channeled the RM12 million ransom money meant for the release of the four kidnapped Sarawakians. He also demanded that the Government reveal the organisations' links with the Abu Sayyaf which was responsible for the kidnapping. He said there was something amiss with the explanation given by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Thursday after questions were raised about whether a ransom was paid for the release of the four Malaysians.
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"The families of the kidnapped victims managed to raise RM12 million from various donors, including the employer of the four victims, and from various individuals from overseas which they handed over to the authority in Sandakan… now, here we have the Federal Government saying that the monies were given to charitable organisations in the Philippines without providing any details of the recipients."The explanation by the Government… doesn't make any sense at all," he said in a statement, Friday. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Thursday insisted that no ransom was paid, saying that the Government's stand is that "we do not pay any ransom and the police have to adhere to the directive." Ahmad also said he had approved for the money to be channeled to several bodies in the Philippines to help them in their cause, which are legal and not affiliated to any terrorist and illegal group.
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Bumburing said if the Government had never wanted to reveal how the kidnapping was being handled, they should have been more sensible on their explanation as the matter involved non-governmental organisations operating in another country, Malaysian families and also private donations. His call was echoed by Sabah DAP who wanted to identify the Filipino groups that were given the RM12 million.
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Its Sabah Chairman Stephen Wong said the move was incomprehensible given that RM1 million of the amount was raised by family members who mortgaged their homes."How can they give away the money to these organisations which was meant to be used to release the hostages? If the police indeed did not pay a ransom but secure the release through negotiations, then congratulations. But then the money should be returned to the families," he said.He further questioned the police's authority in deciding how to disburse the money simply because the families had passed the RM12 million to them.Wong said it was imperative that the government explain which Filipino agencies received the money and for what purposes, saying that the public will not accept the government's insistence of the groups' legitimacy without further details."Why should they hide the names of the organisations, and when did they give the money away? This is very fishy. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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