SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly today revealed a total of 95 fishermen have been investigated under the whitening process of E-Diesel, E-Petrol and fishermen’s cost of living allowance (ESHN) from January to February last year, involving two Area Fishermen’s Associations (PNK) in the state.
State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Bakri Sawir said the two PNKs were Port Dickson and Telok Kemang.
“Of the total, 49 were approved again for the aid while the remaining 46 were removed from the list,” he said in reply to an oral question from Datuk Abd Rahman Mohd Redza (BN-Linggi) here.
In his question, Abd Rahman wanted to know the number of fishermen in Negri Sembilan who were dropped from the ESHN list or had their aid downgraded.
Elaborating further, Bakri (PH-Klawang) said out of the 46 names dropped from the recipients’ list, four had died while another four have not taken up fuel aid for five to seven months.
“The rest were no longer going to sea,” he said.
Bakri said last year, 26 fishermen were downgraded while 101 fishermen were removed from the list of recipients in the two categories of fuel aid.
He said the ESHN whitening was made by reviewing the E-Petrol and E-Diesel system as well as the E-Declaration (fish landing) and monitoring at their respective fishermen base.
“The state Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) has been directed by LKIM headquarters to convene a whitening committee meeting at least twice a year to monitor for irregularities and leakages,” he said.
In response to a supplementary question from Abd Rahman who wanted to know the government’s move to help those stripped from the list of recipients, as some of them earned less than RM1,000 a month, Bakri said the matter was referred to the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and Baitulmal for further assistance. — Bernama
