A FAMILY in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, reportedly had to turn to Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong for help obtaining a wheelchair for a man and his mother after earlier appeals for assistance in Kelantan went unanswered.
The case raises questions about the response from local representatives, particularly Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari of PAS, who represents the constituency where the family lives.
The man had sought assistance from Kelantan’s zakat authorities and elected representatives in his area but received no response.
He subsequently contacted Sim, the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister, whose service centre arranged for a wheelchair to be delivered directly to the family’s home.
Sim’s team had initially tried to source the equipment in Kelantan to avoid additional delivery costs.
When no one came forward, it was arranged for the wheelchair to be sent to Pasir Mas. The man later shared a photograph with the service team after receiving it.
The episode presents an uncomfortable question for PAS: how did a request for basic mobility assistance from a resident in one of its constituencies end up being fulfilled by an MP in another state?
Ahmad Fadhli’s office should clarify whether it received the man’s request and, if so, what action was taken.
The available reports do not establish whether the MP personally knew of the appeal, when it was made or whether it reached his service centre.
Those details matter. Without them, it would be premature to conclude that Ahmad Fadhli personally ignored the family.
But the reported failure to obtain help locally warrants an explanation from the relevant offices.
For people struggling to meet basic needs, constituency services can be a crucial point of contact.
An MP may not be able to approve every request, but applicants should at least receive a response and, where possible, guidance on where to seek assistance.
The request in this case concerned a wheelchair for the man and his mother — equipment that can make a substantial difference to daily mobility.
Its eventual delivery through a representative from Penang makes the family’s reported experience all the more deserving of scrutiny.
PAS has long placed Islamic values at the centre of its political identity.
Its representatives should therefore be prepared to explain how requests for help from people facing hardship are handled in the constituencies they represent.
The question is not whether Sim deserves credit for helping a family outside his constituency.
His team’s intervention addressed an immediate need.
The question is why, according to the published account, the family had to look beyond Kelantan for that assistance — and whether its earlier appeals were properly handled by those closer to home.
Ahmad Fadhli and the relevant Kelantan agencies should be allowed to explain what happened.
For the family, the wheelchair has arrived. For its elected representatives, the questions surrounding the request remain. – October 25, 2026