JELEBU: Minor seat swapping between Barisan Nasional allies before any general election is normal, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The MCA president said there tended to be slight changes made during negotiations between the component parties and there was nothing unusual about it.

“We (Barisan Nasional leaders) will only bring this up at the top level. During seat negotiations, there may be some changes here and there.

“There’s no issue and when the time comes, we will know what to do,” he told reporters after a luncheon with representatives from non- governmental organisations in the district here yesterday.

The Ayer Hitam MP, who is also Transport Minister, was asked to respond to a statement by Barisan election director Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan that there may be seat- swapping between Barisan allies in order to win the 15th General Election.

Earlier, Dr Wee was at the Kuala Lumpur Airport to grace the sending off of aid raised by Malaysian NGOs to Pakistan following the devastating floods that hit the country.

The contribution of essentials was organised and gathered under the Fo Guang Shan Malaysian chapter, Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) and Yayasan Sin Chew.

Themed “Sending Love & Warmth to Pakistan”, the essentials, worth more than RM800,000 and weighing a whopping 15 tonnes, were grouped into 1,144 boxes and loaded onto a Pakistan International Airlines flight yesterday during a simple ceremony.

“It should remind us that, as members of a global society, we must be ready to lend a helping hand to ease the pain and suffering of those who need help across our borders.“We must be ready to spring into action for those that need our help regardless of their nationality, creed, beliefs or economic background,” he said.

Among the items contributed were bedsheets and blankets, as well as milk.

“I understand that medicine is also crucially needed there, so I urge those capable of donating to step forward and assist those affected,” Dr Wee said.

“Although Pakistan is primarily a Muslim country, we can see that those involved in this effort are from Buddhist associations, among others.

“This is the beauty of the Malaysian people, who are always stepping forward to help others regardless of race, colour or creed,” he said.

He said the Foreign Ministry and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd also played an invaluable role in ensuring the success of the logistics.

Dr Wee said the Fo Guang Shan Malaysian chapter was no stranger to flood relief efforts, noting that they had also sent a team to help victims of the Kelantan floods in 2014.

“All the NGOs involved today are unsung heroes who help without expecting anything in return. These are our role models,” he said.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia Amna Baloch said the swift response by both NGOs and the Malaysian government in the face of such a disaster was much appreciated.

“It is indeed a testament to the strong and deep ties between the people of Pakistan and Malaysia,” she said, adding that it was heart-warming to see the solidarity and support by the Malaysian government and its people towards assisting those in flood-hit areas.

“This goes a long way in providing solace to the flood-affected population and also efforts to rehabilitate them,” she said.

She said the floods, which was caused by unprecedented torrential rains since mid-June, had resulted in almost 1,400 deaths and close to 40 million people being displaced.

Also present at the ceremony were BLIA World South-East Asia Chapter vice-secretary Venerable Chief Abbess Ven Jue Cheng, Sin Chew Foundation deputy chairman Siew Nyoke Chow and representatives from the Foreign Ministry.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/16/wee-minor-seat-swapping-among-allies-is-normal