How the opposition operates
Salleh Said Keruak
The Employees Provident Fund, EPF, has just announced its highest dividend pay out in a very long time. As expected, the opposition immediately responded by calling it an election year dividend. Actually, the EPF dividend pay out has been increasing gradually since the last few years and not just this year. In 2014 and 2015, the EPF declared a higher dividend than in 2013, which was also an election year. So it has nothing to do with the elections.
If the EFP had announced a very low dividend pay out this year, they would have responded by saying this is proof the economy is in a bad shape and the country is going bankrupt. This ‘Malaysia is going bankrupt’ mantra has been going on for many years but all that happens is the economy grows from strength to strength. According to economic reports from other countries, Malaysia is rated amongst the best in the region.
