Kula lauds 'rare unanimity' between BN and Pakatan

From among the factors that bring down governments, which one more surely puts the skids under them in comparison to other factors?

According to DAP national vice-chairperson M Kulasegaran, the factor that more certainly scuttles incumbent governors is economic failure beyond the limits of plausible excuse or explanation.

The MP for Ipoh Barat alluded to the "rare unanimity of views" between BN and Pakatan Rakyat politicians on what would more surely bring down the more than half-century-old BN government.

"On Dec 24, the Umno MP Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the increases in the prices of goods and services will result in BN losing more votes in the 14th general election," noted the opposition legislator.

Kulasegaran said as an accountant Nur Jazlan would have a finer feel for the impact of abruptly raised prices on the pockets of the middle classes and the lower income groups.

"That must have been why he raised the alarm over what he must have seen as the pathway to certain defeat for the BN at the next general election which is the gouging of the ordinary people by forcing them to bear the burden of raised taxes and inflated prices for goods and services beyond their capacity to withstand," explained the three-term MP.

Najib administration has overspent

Citing as evidence of the "rare unanimity of views" between BN and Pakatan politicians on the matter, Kulasegaran noted that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had urged in his latest blog postings that the government should trim its expenditure before it chooses to raise taxes and curtail or remove subsidies.

"We acknowledge that over time the government's expenditure would increase to meet the costs of serving the public, but this increase should not primarily be derived from increased taxation of the public but from prudence and frugality in its expenditure.

"After that only, should taxed be raised and subsidies be curtailed or removed," argued Kulasegaran.

He said that Prime Minister Najib Razak was "putting the cart before the horse by proposing to increase tolls and tariffs, raise taxes and remove or curtail subsidies even before looking to see where he can trim a fat and flabby administration whose upkeep is a burden to the ordinary taxpayer."

Kulasegaran said this was why even the Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin had remonstrated against the proposed increase in the electricity tariff which is expected to be raised by 15 percent from Jan 1, 2014.

"The Najib administration has overspent and now the rakyat is forced to bear the consequences of the government's spendthrift ways," said Kulasegaran.

"The shirking of responsibility is going to be punished by voters at the next election even if the government decides to resort to more rounds of Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BRIM) handouts before the polls to seduce the people from remembering who is responsible for their reduced economic plight," predicted DAP leader.