By Jackson Ng, Retired Journalist
WITH the next and 13th General Election touted to be around the corner, the Barisan Nasional, especially Umno and MCA, is getting desperate. This is shown by the way Umno and MCA are dishing out goodies and financial aid to the people which they had actually condemned the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state governments for doing so after the 2008 political tsunami.
It also shows BN’s lack of innovative policies to help ease the financial burden of the people. BN is only good at copying the PR. That too is carried out without sincerity and sustainability.
Also, what the BN could not do or deliver in 54 years, the PR did in its maiden rule in its states. The following are three significant examples:
Ø The DAP-led PR Penang government implemented a policy to help senior citizens in the state by giving them a yearly cash aid of RM100 each;
Ø The PKR-led PR Selangor provided free water for all in the state who used less than 20m3 of water per month; and
Ø The then PAS-led PR Perak government implemented a policy to allow the conversion of leasehold land to freehold but this was retracted by BN who toppled the PR state government with the support of unethical political frogs.
The BN slammed the PR state governments’ innovative people-friendly policies and described the initiatives as just populist political gimmicks.
However, the “gimmicks” in Penang and Selangor have remained sustainable.
Compare what the PR state governments have introduced and implemented with the BN and MCA’s one-time financial aid to the people.
The BN and MCA’s recent announcement of cash aid to the people are clearly insincere, made just to “buy” votes for the coming general election.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in his Budget 2012 presentation, announced a RM100 aid to all public school children. He also announced a one-time payment of RM500 assistance to households with an income of RM3,000 and below.
This was followed by MCA’s announcement that it would allocate some RM30 million to distribute RM100 to help its members and RM200 for a new-born. This is only a one-time payment as it is unsustainable and a massive drain on the party funds.
Also, funds raised for the 1MCA Medical Foundation are now being described as just another mode of income tax collection and a twisted gimmick.
If not for the people’s support for the PR in 2008 followed by the political pressures from the PR’s style of governance, the BN and MCA would not have made the above people-friendly efforts.
In fact, the people should wisely accept and take the goodies from BN and MCA but continue to support the PR in the next general election.
Without the pressures from the PR, the BN and MCA will not bother to even consider any such massive financial aid to the people.
Should the PR secure federal power in the next general election, there is every indication that the people are set to benefit more with the PR’s access to federal funds.
This is just simple logic based on what the PR state governments had been able to do or deliver since securing the mandate to rule in 2008.
WITH the next and 13th General Election touted to be around the corner, the Barisan Nasional, especially Umno and MCA, is getting desperate. This is shown by the way Umno and MCA are dishing out goodies and financial aid to the people which they had actually condemned the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state governments for doing so after the 2008 political tsunami.
It also shows BN’s lack of innovative policies to help ease the financial burden of the people. BN is only good at copying the PR. That too is carried out without sincerity and sustainability.
Also, what the BN could not do or deliver in 54 years, the PR did in its maiden rule in its states. The following are three significant examples:
Ø The DAP-led PR Penang government implemented a policy to help senior citizens in the state by giving them a yearly cash aid of RM100 each;
Ø The PKR-led PR Selangor provided free water for all in the state who used less than 20m3 of water per month; and
Ø The then PAS-led PR Perak government implemented a policy to allow the conversion of leasehold land to freehold but this was retracted by BN who toppled the PR state government with the support of unethical political frogs.
The BN slammed the PR state governments’ innovative people-friendly policies and described the initiatives as just populist political gimmicks.
However, the “gimmicks” in Penang and Selangor have remained sustainable.
Compare what the PR state governments have introduced and implemented with the BN and MCA’s one-time financial aid to the people.
The BN and MCA’s recent announcement of cash aid to the people are clearly insincere, made just to “buy” votes for the coming general election.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in his Budget 2012 presentation, announced a RM100 aid to all public school children. He also announced a one-time payment of RM500 assistance to households with an income of RM3,000 and below.
This was followed by MCA’s announcement that it would allocate some RM30 million to distribute RM100 to help its members and RM200 for a new-born. This is only a one-time payment as it is unsustainable and a massive drain on the party funds.
Also, funds raised for the 1MCA Medical Foundation are now being described as just another mode of income tax collection and a twisted gimmick.
If not for the people’s support for the PR in 2008 followed by the political pressures from the PR’s style of governance, the BN and MCA would not have made the above people-friendly efforts.
In fact, the people should wisely accept and take the goodies from BN and MCA but continue to support the PR in the next general election.
Without the pressures from the PR, the BN and MCA will not bother to even consider any such massive financial aid to the people.
Should the PR secure federal power in the next general election, there is every indication that the people are set to benefit more with the PR’s access to federal funds.
This is just simple logic based on what the PR state governments had been able to do or deliver since securing the mandate to rule in 2008.
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