Votes in the moneybag
Budget 2013 is a sweetener to secure another deal from the people but it may not be enough to save the skin of the prime minister.
Budget 2013 promises a better quality of life in this resplendent city. All are cared for: the young, the old, the sick, the fishermen, the farmers, the jobless graduates, the homeless, the civil servants and many more – in return for their votes. Billions will be pouring in to finance the programmes although no one knows how and where the money will come from.
Free Malaysia Today
Was it an election budget? The government says no, but all the goodies dished out unerringly indicate the way is paved for the prime minister to ring the bell and call for election. He dangles many carrots and wants the people to buy them with their votes. The budget is the only story left to tell the people that there is a happy ending if the same government is returned to power. All the promises will be fulfilled only when the mandate is safely in the pocket of the prime minister. The most powerful man in the country hopes the people will forget all the old chapters on corruption and abuse of power. He wants a new beginning and a new licence – to continue his old ways.
Money can be a potent weapon to manipulate public opinion, especially when times are hard. A government will look good when it throws money to the poor. A leader becomes a hero when he satisfies the material needs of the impoverished masses. He becomes a deity when the downtrodden adores him for his boundless generosity. With all the wealth of the country at his disposal, the prime minister can do no wrong. Money is on tap and can be used at any time. It is most useful when election is around the corner and when the prime minister is in danger of losing his pants.
Billions will be spent to develop the country in the relentless quest for a high-income status. Indeed, 2020 is the vision set for us to become a developed nation. By then, the promised land will rise and all will live in splendid circumstances. The only flaw in this story line is that the rich will become richer and the poor poorer. All the mega projects are for the enrichment of companies and individuals linked to the political establishment. The majority of the citizens will stay stuck in the quagmire of rural and urban poverty.
The push for a modern state will leave many people dispossessed and dislocated. They do not matter in the grand scheme of things. They will be ruthlessly driven out to make way for the playthings of conglomerates supported by the unscrupulous politicians. New soaring skylines will emerge as Malaysia races to be on par with the technologically advanced economies. The only people who will marvel at the new “shiny city on the hill” are the corrupt, the depraved, the rapacious. The others who live on the fringes can only seethe with frustration.
Political ambitions
Budget 2013 promises a better quality of life in this resplendent city. All are cared for: the young, the old, the sick, the fishermen, the farmers, the jobless graduates, the homeless, the civil servants and many more – in return for their votes. Billions will be pouring in to finance the programmes although no one knows how and where the money will come from, given the unpromising domestic economic trends and the depressing global business scene. Prudent spending or fiscal responsibility is not our strength. Millions in public funds have gone down the drain over the years unaccounted for. Still, there is not a care in the world about the misuse of taxpayers’ money.
