Syed Saddiq Raises RM650,959.21, Directs 100% Of Collection To Muar Residents

MUAR: The Muar Thanksgiving Run, which Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman undertook over the past four days, ended this morning, successfully raising RM650,959.21, more than three times the initial target.

However, the Muar Member of Parliament stressed that his team would not use the collected funds at all, but would instead distribute them fully to eligible recipients in this district.

He said the money entrusted by the people would never be used, including to cover the expenses of the staff at the Muar Parliamentary Constituency Service Centre.

“We will give our full commitment, 100 per cent transparency. In fact, we will provide a report detailing the receipts for expenditures in the first phase tonight.

“We want to ensure that every sen collected is channelled back to the people of Muar. According to the usual practice of NGOs, we could use up to 30 per cent of the collection for administrative costs.

“However, I have instructed my team not to take a single sen from the collection. We must return 100 per cent to them.

“Their salaries (the staff), I will pay using my own money or I will find other means. What is certain is that we will never use this money,” he said when met after handing over contributions at the Muar Parliamentary Constituency Service Centre.

Also present was his fiancée, actress and singer Bella Astillah.

Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq said he would also announce several more assistance programmes, including the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) for the youth, to enable them to pursue higher education.

Syed Saddiq, who completed the 170-kilometre run this morning, also expressed his gratitude to the people of Muar for their support.

He said when he was 10 kilometres from the finishing point, he received support from people of all walks of life despite the hot weather.

“They were willing to wait, and when I reached Laman Maharani, I was quite surprised to see a sea of people on both sides, to the point where I could not even move.

“I felt tired at times, my muscles were cramping, and at some moments I felt like fainting, but because of the support given, it gave me the energy to continue the four-day run.

“Initially, we targeted RM200,000, but we managed to record more than three times the target. They are ordinary people who did not have to contribute, yet they did.

“Most of them are not from Muar, but we are all Malaysians. They want to help not for me, but for the people of Muar who are in need,” he said.

Harian Metro