Street protests a waste of time,energy - Ahmad Shabery

Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek on Monday described the plan for a gathering and protest march on the night of Dec 31 as a needless act and a waste of time and energy

He said the country had a parliamentary system as well as the media for the people to convey their dissatisfaction to the government and the government was prepared to listen and provide them with an explanation.

"I feel that those who intend to join the gathering are wasting their energy. We have a parliamentary system. They can express themselves in Parliament, through the media and so on.

"The government is prepared to listen. We will provide an explanation," he told reporters after attending a school aid programme for Kemaman flood victims, here.

Ahmad Shabery said it was better for that time and energy to be directed towards helping the people who were affected by the floods recently in the east coast states as it was more beneficial than street protests.

He said the government took pity on those people who were being duped by the opposition into gathering in the streets purely to achieve their political objectives.

On aid for the flood victims, Ahmad Shabery said the ministry would strive to provide every flood-affected household with a television set and consider other donations, such as a refrigerator, which he said were no longer luxury goods but essential items.

He said the television had become essential for the people to update themselves on the news.

"The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) distributed 1Malaysia computers previously. Now, we are giving out the essential television sets," he said.

MCMC would attempt to distribute the television sets as soon as possible, he said, adding that it was estimated that 30,000 units would be needed for the flood victims in Terengganu and Pahang.

"One household will get one (television set). We will try to distribute them in a month. These are quality sets," he said.

At the event, the Albukhary Foundation and several NGOs, including the 1Malaysia Putera Club and Puteri Umno, handed over school bags and uniforms to 3,839 primary and secondary students from the Kemasik, Kijal and Chukai state constituencies.

On Tuesday, similar items would be distributed to 4,733 students in the Air Putih state constituency.

Ahmad Shabery said insurance payouts could ease the financial burden of flood-affected civil servants who had suffered huge losses in terms of property.