YBK forms new panel, Malay Mail Friday, January 15th, 2010 14:48:00

It came about in the wake of the crisis with Selangor govt, says YBK chairman

NAJIAH NAJIB

Submitted by Izat on Friday, January 15th, 2010

PETALING JAYA: Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan (YBK) has come up with a brand new panel to cooperate with Federal and State governments for poverty eradication in the country.

Speaking exclusively to The Malay Mail, YBK chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Sakom (pic) said this morning that the panel will be headed by Datuk Rahmah Abu Kassim, who is the advisor for Rural and Regional Development Ministry, the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) as well as a board member of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.

Rahmah, who sits on the board of YBK, was also conferred the award 'Tokoh Basmi Kemiskinan' by former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2007.

Zainal said the panel will have three to five members for now.

"Rahmah has already suggested several names to be included in the panel. We're waiting for their responses. More members will be added once the effort to cooperate with the Federal and State governments is further developed," said Zainal.

He said the panel came about in the wake of the foundation’s now public crisis with the Selangor government on the proposed UiTM campus in Serendah, among other issues.

"Before the crisis came about, we (YBK) thought we were doing all we possibly could to solve the rakyat's problems. But with the recent tiff with the Selangor government and the Menteri Besar (Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim), we decided to push our efforts further by coming up with this new panel."

Zainal’s response followed Khalid’s call for the foundation to join forces with the Selangor government to eradicate poverty in the State, which was reported by Bernama yesterday.

Zainal reiterated it was paramount that YBK remains a non-governmental organisation, without the State government having a stake in the foundation.

"The reason YBK was formed in the first place was to help ease the burden of those living in poverty. Helping the rakyat must be done without fear or favour, without political interests or implications.

"I don’t see this being possible if the State government is part of the foundation’s board."

The Malay Mail had last week reported that the foundation was "ordered" to appoint Khalid as the new foundation chairman and three others, including Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail, as trustees if it wanted State government approval for the UiTM project in Serendah.

Zainal had said YBK would have to immediately pay RM6 million in quit rent arrears if it did not accept the Menteri Besar as chairman