The Politics of Food Aid in Sarawak, Malaysia

Among all the resultant government programs, food aid is probably the most politicized. Transparency levels in the government planning and implementation processes at both the federal and state levels in Malaysia are generally low, and the agencies or officers in charge are rarely held accountable.When asked about the details of the food aid provided, the government agencies and officials involved have only revealed the numbers of beneficiaries and total spending. Most of them have declined to provide details of how their plans were drawn up and implemented, including soliciting aid (some of which was sponsored by private entities), selecting food items and vendors, and packaging and delivery. These officials and agencies have generally ignored demands from the public to release lists of recipients, the selection criteria for vendors and the value of food packages distributed.