YOURSAY | ‘Halimah chose the wrong topic to make a name for herself.’
COMMENT | PAS targets Menu Rahmah
Autism groups hit back at Halimah over Menu Rahmah comment
Coward: To be fair, PAS legislators suddenly find themselves having to do real work instead of gaji buta (paid for doing nothing). As such, they will make mistakes.
I think Kapar MP Halimah Ali (above) got carried away. Her lack of experience makes her not realise that in national politics, this is very dangerous.
The only good thing I can say about her speech was that she is worried about low-quality food. There is a risk she is equating price to quality, but her concern is valid.
I am sure her opponent was ready to pounce on this possibility she equates cheap with low quality until she made that grave mistake and presented them with better sound bites, and they seized that opportunity.
The exchange that followed completely derailed her message. For this, all MPs have to take responsibility. She made a mistake, a serious one. It is right to correct her. However, move on after that. Concentrate on debating valid points in her speech.
My praise for her raising the issue of poor quality stops there. Despite her worry, she hasn’t shown that low-quality food is indeed being sold. She did not do her homework.
She should go out and have a look at the food served. If she thinks it’s not enough, or not good quality, capture the evidence and show it. It’s no good brainstorming how to react to Menu Rahmah without the legwork.
Is there anything bad about Menu Rahmah to talk about? Yes. Plenty. Ask the government what they are doing to sustain this should commodity prices increase. Ask the government how they expect providers to sustain the effort, given that they are earning less.
Tell the world that Menu Rahmah is just a band-aid, not a long-term solution. Present your vision and solution. But all she and the opposition can come up with is that low-quality food is offered, without evidence to support it.
Not because the evidence is not there as I am sure there are rotten apples, but they cannot be bothered to look for it.
PAS and Perikatan Nasional (PN) are learning the trade of being opposition finally. For their first outing, expect hilarious, ridiculous, and laughable moments as they learn.
I think they are starting to behave like opposition. That’s good. It’s up to them to shape the way they want the opposition to look.
Right now, it feels to me like they are graduating from “opposing for the sake of opposing” and “thinking before opposing”. They are also opposed to petty issues and not doing their homework. Hopefully, they’ll improve soon.
Mazilamani: You may be a doctor and but it’s different advising your patients about wrong things within the confines of your consultation room compared to when you are an MP.
Now, your consultations and treatments are seen and questioned by many.
By talking about Menu Rahmah food, you have placed an indelible stigma on children with autism and good souls willing to sell meals as low as RM5.
Do you value their sacrifices, time and low profits? Some even alleged that discarded vegetables and discarded fish and meat were used for Menu Rahmah.
Ask your party to do what is necessary by focusing on the states that truly need welfare and charity. List out and prove to us what they have done for the flood-affected states and families that are now left with nothing.
Charity begins at home. Every attempt to attack the government by PAS ends up with foul-mouthing and nonsense. Some leaders have PhDs in religious studies and other professions. But it does not add up.
Cogito Ergo Sum: Halimah chose the wrong topic to make a name for herself. Instead, it backfired and reflects her disabilities as well as her party’s inability to think logically.
While she may be applauded among her PN coalition, she has brought to the fore the possible policies that might have been implemented if PN were in power. We have our king to thank for saving us from a disastrous future.
LimePanther5220: Just because this initiative came from the government, this PAS politician has to go and thrash it. Isn’t she using her position as a doctor to cast doubt on the programme?
Does Halimah know that many a time, students and workers have to forgo meals because they just don’t have enough money to spend? Next time she should aim her arrows more precisely so as not to invite a backlash onto herself.
Dr Suresh Kumar: Every other day, we hear unintelligible statements from our so-called MPs. How these people got voted in is beyond me. I know of kids who belong to rich professional parents who gave the best nutritious diets but still live with autism.
Isn’t this doctor’s ill-thought-out statement an insult to poor or less wealthy parents? I can’t imagine this coming from a medical doctor. Where are we heading to?
Hmmmmmmmm: Nothing to stop her from promoting her own Menu Rahmah for the poor in her state if she feels the current Menu Rahmah is not good enough.
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