I REFER to the letter by Wan Zainun Wan Mohamad of Petaling Jaya (”Pushed around by Welfare Dept” — NST, Jan 7).

While one may be annoyed by the way Wan Zainun was pushed around by the department so much that her allowance for seven months was delayed, one must also ask what the Malaysian Association for the Blind’s role was in this.

It was reported that she went to the association for help, but all it did was to telephone the Welfare Department. It neglected to follow up on the complaint and did not check to see what the problem was.

All it did was to send her on her way with instructions from the Welfare Department.

Now, she has not received aid for seven months. Let us hope she gets what is due to her as the delay was not her fault. I understand that if handicapped people do not collect their aid within one month, they could lose out on it.

I also understand that hers is not the only case like this. I hope the association will wake up and get its welfare committee (if it has one) working.

It’s puzzling as to why the association failed to act on her case, since the director-general of Social Welfare is listed as an ex-officio member of the association’s council.

BERNARD MARBECK, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – January 15, 2008