Why did Malaysia’s Women’s Ministry stop funding PBKS in 2015?

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Malaysia’s Women’s Ministry stopped funding PBKS in 2015 without giving a stated reason
Malaysia’s Women, Family and Community Development Ministry stopped funding Pusat Bantuan Khidmat Sosial (PBKS) in 2015, telling PBKS earlier in the month that it would not fund the NGO next year. PBKS had been receiving RM700,000 annually for seven years, with funding previously channelled directly from 2007 to 2013 and then via the Malaysian AIDS Council for the most recent year. A letter dated December 4 from the ministry to the Malaysian AIDS Council confirmed the decision not to approve funds for PBKS in 2015, but it did not provide explicit reasons for the cutoff.
The ministry notified PBKS earlier in the month of the 2015 funding halt
PBKS senior manager Mitch Yusmar Yusof said the ministry informed PBKS earlier this month that it would not fund PBKS next year. This meant an abrupt stop to the RM700,000 funding PBKS had relied on annually from Putrajaya for the past seven years. The ministry’s corporate communications head had not responded to media calls for comment at the time of reporting.
A December 4 letter confirmed the decision not to approve PBKS funds in 2015
A letter from the ministry to the Malaysian AIDS Council dated December 4 stated that the ministry had considered and decided not to approve the allocation of funds for PBKS in 2015. The letter also expressed appreciation for the Malaysian AIDS Council’s cooperation in helping the ministry operate PBKS for 2014 and hoped the working relationship would continue. The letter, however, did not spell out any explanation for stopping the funding.
No explicit reasons were provided for stopping the RM700,000 support
In the information available, no specific grounds were given for why the government would cease funding PBKS in 2015. The ministry’s communication on the matter, including the December 4 letter, focused on acknowledgement of cooperation for 2014 rather than stating a rationale for the 2015 decision. As a result, the funding cessation is documented but the cause is not.
PBKS provides services to transwomen, sex workers, and people with HIV
PBKS assists transwomen, sex workers, and people with HIV through services such as counselling, job placements, and referrals to hospitals, drug rehabilitation centres, shelters, and social welfare institutions. It also runs a Mak Nyah programme for transwomen that provides capacity-building such as grooming, makeup, hairdo, and public speaking, and a programme for sex workers on living skills like beading, tailoring, and cooking. Its positive living programme for people with HIV includes information on cancer, mental illnesses, and alcohol and drug addiction.

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Why did Malaysia’s Women’s Ministry stop funding PBKS in 2015?

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