A populist pork barrel budget 2015! The 2015 budget unveiled by PM Najib Tun Razak yesterday in parliament is merely aimed at addressing the unpopularity of UMNO/BN government. It is pork barrel in nature in that it wants to get back the support the government has lost over the years. Remember, in the last general elections, BN lost the popular votes to PR coalition. In a more specific sense, the fear of backlash from the implementation of GST in April in 2005 and the recent cuts in petrol and diesel subsidies have not gone well with the rakyat. While the populist measures can earn some brownie points for the BN government, the old system remains and continues to be reinforced. The Budget is a sad reminder that the BN government is not bothered about taking series of reforms that will reduce and eventually eliminate corruption. A recent survey indicates that corruption is high in Malaysia in comparison to countries such as Indonesia, Singapore of even Thailand. While capital expenditure in certain areas is unavoidable, there is certainly an expectation that the government would spend more time in bringing about quality education at the primary, secondary and university levels. But alas, the education system in Malaysia continues to be neglected by policy makers!
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:59:14 +0000
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