“They should not place the blame on programmes like NAAM. DAP should look at the states they control, such as Selangor and Penang. What have they done for the Indians over there?” Shabery asked.
He was speaking to reporters during a visit to a chilli farm in Taman Maluri.
“Even if they can’t do agriculture, maybe they should start housing projects at ‘below market price’ on a large scale for the people, instead of for leaders,” he added, making a snide remark about the controversy surrounding Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Shabery said this in commenting on the spat between Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan.
Ong had accused Saravanan of conflict of interest in the disbursement of RM19 million for a chilli planting programme to Yayasan NAAM, (New Affirmative Action Movement), a registered company chaired by Saravanan.
Ong had previously criticised the awarding of government funding to an NGO effectively controlled by a political party as being “totally unacceptable and unethical.”
“One can imagine the furore that would have been caused if the Penang state government had channelled state funding to an NGO that was controlled by DAP, and where it had a free hand to use the funds to conduct its political activities.
“MACC would have been unleashed to investigate this NGO immediately,” he said.
Saravanan had responded by saying the funds were disbursed through the Prime Minister’s Department and not by the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Saravanan said the money was used in 2014 for training those who had participated in a chilli fertigation programme and providing them with materials.
The Youth and Sports Ministry only played a monitoring role to ensure the programme went according to plan, Saravanan said.
NAAM had stopped requesting for funding after that, he said, due to government budget constraints and when the programme’s focus had switched to monitoring its progress.
He said these days those who wanted to be trained were sent to work with entrepreneurs involved in the scheme.