SUBANG JAYA – The Managing Director of Mydin, Datuk Dr. Ameer Ali Mydin, has hit back at Kota Melaka Member of Parliament (MP) Khoo Poay Tiong, following allegations that the hypermarket chain was the primary benefactor of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) program.
In a viral video, Dr. Ameer described the MP’s remarks as “malicious and baseless.” He was responding to claims made in Parliament suggesting that Mydin’s management was “dancing with joy” due to the high volume of SARA recipients shopping at their outlets.
”Who are you? Just relax,” Dr. Ameer said in his rebuttal. “To suggest we are only celebrating profits is a malicious assumption. My stance has always been that if the government chooses not to give [this business] to Mydin, they should give it to small-scale traders instead.”
He further challenged the lawmaker to identify other major corporations that might be receiving even larger shares of the program’s benefits if he truly wished to be transparent in the Dewan Rakyat.
Following the backlash, Khoo Poay Tiong clarified his stance, stating that his parliamentary speech was intended to encourage the government to expand the SARA initiative. He emphasized that the goal was to ensure a wider range of businesses, especially small retailers, could participate and benefit from the program.
Despite the heated exchange, Dr. Ameer expressed his gratitude to the Madani Government for the SARA program, noting its significant role in easing the people’s financial burden and supporting the retail sector.
