Do the right thing Prime Minister, you can't go wrong

 

 

 

 

Rethink BR1M aid, say analysts 

By MUHAMMED AHMAD HAMDAN | news@nst.com.my 

REDIRECT: Call to focus on welfare, social programmes

KUALA LUMPUR: THE government's 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) cash aid programme to help low-income earners  tide over the rising cost of living, should have an exit plan, said some analysts who also believe that it should be given in other forms.

An analyst, who did not want to be named, said the government should shift its focus on improving the services provided by the Welfare Department (JKMM) and other aid agencies rather than continuing with the cash aid.

"BR1M is not the way. We already have various ways to help the poor like through those distributed through JKMM," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

"I think they (the government) should focus on improving the existing aid agencies, including zakat (tithes) and others, rather than adding another inefficient delivery channel. I would just abolish it and redirect attention and funds to improving the services of JKMM and have more spotlight on it."

The government's BR1M programme has become a hot topic of discussion among Malaysians since it was introduced in 2012, with negative views seeming to outweigh the positive, especially those coming from economists and analysts alike.

They argue that while the cash handout would not have a significant impact on households, it was also not a good mechanism in reducing poverty in the long term.

Universiti Malaya Centre for Poverty and Development Studies economist Associate Professor Dr Fatimah Kari said the cash handout did not provide a holistic social protection programme or provide incentives to get out of poverty.

"As an economist, I don't believe in BR1M. The government must announce an exit policy for BR1M. This can be done by providing comprehensive social programmes that give access to public health, education and jobs."

Similar sentiments were shared by other economists who urged the government to fine-tune the aid programme to ensure it meets the objective of cushioning the impact from the rising cost of living.

Socio-economic Development and Research Institute (SEDAR Institute) executive director Ivanpal S. Grewalin, in a recent report, was quoted as saying that it was only appropriate for the government to refine the method employed, given that the payout amount would increase over the next few years.

Ivanpal added that the aid delivery could be channelled in other forms, including utilities rebate vouchers or even food stamps.

The BR1M money first started as a one-off cash payment of RM500 to households with an income of less than RM3,000 a month.

This year, the government has increased the amount to RM650, which will benefit some seven million people compared with last year's 6.8 million, amounting to a disbursement of RM3.7 billion.

The government also announced its intention to distribute the cash hand-out twice this year to enable recipients to use it within a specified time and in a more careful manner compared with a one-off hand out.

In light of the government's intention to increase the BR1M amount from time to time, economists warned that expanding BR1M or any social safety net might not be sustainable in the long run.

"This may sound cliche, but the government should come out with a more effective mechanism to teach the rakyat to fish rather than feeding them with fish," said another analyst. - NST

 

 

 

 

Maybe some of the Prime Minister's able advisors and apple-polishers may not like to hear this but Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had made it very clear from day one that BR1M was a bad idea.

Do read Dr M's thoughts in Fuel Subsidy (Sept 2013) and the latest BR1M (March 2014). It was crystal clear and some of us are very sure that months before penning his thoughts Dr M had infact relayed his reservations or rather objections to the Prime Minister himself.

Of course when it comes from Dr Mahathir many a consultant and self appointed financial gurus would find it hard to digest the logic, simply due to their bloated ego and misplaced motivation.

Something must be very wrong somewhere if those rating agencies and financial analysts, whom the Government of the day is so fearful of, demand us to do away with fuel subsidy but at the same time silently agree to wasteful handouts like BR1M.

Where is the logic ?

The fact that BR1M is being finally debated openly by the mainstream media, I pray, is a strong indication that the Government has finally come to a realisation that such handouts can't possibly go on. BR1M is absolutely irresponsible and even the handsomely paid foreign consultants and their ilk can't deny this fact.

As the Malay saying goes - Bila sesat dihujung jalan, pulanglah kepangkal jalan.

Just stop BR1M and, as those analysts are saying now (in the NST article above), go back to basics.

P/s I don't think we should appoint another consultant to review BR1M. TQ

 

Change for CHANGE

Everybody seems to be clamouring for change.

But are we giving anyone the chance to change or have we been creating the necessary environment for change?

Change appears to be a confrontational matter in our country when in fact it is happening all around us. Some among us just don’t realise it.

If you just take a minute and objectively evaluate the changes we have gone through, however gradual they may be, the nation of Malaysia has transformed.

You could sincerely and apolitically evaluate if we have gone from bad to worse or otherwise.

I feel very strongly that we have developed quite well in the face of the crazy pace of global changes. In fact we are or were at one time or another leading the global change in many fields.

Malaysia was a progressive nation, the leader of the pact so to say, just lest than a decade ago. 

Due to umpteen reasons and global situations, topped by our change of leadership in 2003, progress was uncharted or veered from our development blueprint.

We were not even drifting but were sliding backwards for a couple of years.

Like the good things in life, bad things too don’t last and we went through another change in leadership courageously despite being badly bruised in the “government popularity” test of 2008.

The new leader is an experienced politician with decades of experience in both the government and politics. An “industrial economist” by training and the son of a former Prime Minister by nature.

An aristocrat he might be but the Prime Minister of today has been part of the formulating team, witnessed the changes and is now carrying on with the transformation that the nation needs.

The needs of course change with the times too.

The specific changes that we as a diverse Malaysian society need and could be better of with cannot possibly be formulated overnight.

We cannot just duplicate “change’ from another society and be wanting to impose their norms on our society. Our fabric is different from others. No other nation in this whole wide world is another Malaysia.

But we want to change. We want to be better than today or if possible tomorrow. We want to regain our lead in the region and be the voice of reason for mankind. We want to be part of each and every NGO that promotes change.  

We, going by the expectations of a few politicians, must be the first to change without any consideration to the fabric of our society even.

So, we want to change badly and we want it now. But what are we doing to support and initiate change amidst us, the multiracial, multi-religious sons (and daughters) of the soil?

Why are some among us so keen to make “Change” a controversial matter and link it to the need to overthrow the government of the day? Has this government not changed for the better?

We all have disagreements here and there and we must admit that there are serious flaws in many aspects of our government or the way some tentacles are being operated.

Action is much overdue in some aspects, for instance in tackling the dilemma of the urban poor. Migration and development (also two aspect of change) resulted in a ballooning urban poor and the government must find a quick solution to this change brought about by change.

The room for the Government to transform and further improve itself is indisputable and vast, and the government has no choice.

I would like to believe that the present leadership has recognised the need for us to transform at a faster pace to achieve Vision 2020 or Wawasan 2020.

We are at least moving much faster than the doomed years from 2004 to 2008. The Government has rolled out specific plans and road maps to accelerate our change and transformation.

Handling the downsides of change like the worrying crime rate in urban centres and new growth areas is a great task on its own. Maintaining security and public order is vital and that sucks in hundreds of millions of Ringgit every year.   

Annually billions of Ringgit are allocated and spent to provide all kinds of infrastructure, from the basic water, electricity, road and telecommunication to the high-end fibre-optic broadband service and super highways.

While billions of Ringgits are spent to improve rural areas, rural folks are increasingly awed by the fast pace and seemingly easy luxuries of urban life. They move in droves and those who don’t make it land in urban slump.

Balancing change and its effects on our society is paramount as positive change itself.

So, is the Government of Malaysia against change?  

Why is change being turned into a war-cry and the minds of the young polluted with misplaced perceptions churned out by political parties with vested interests?

Are we being hijacked or trying to be hijacked by those who have earlier hijacked change and turned it into a ‘dirty’ word?

Younger generation Malaysians, most importantly, need to ask this questions and look around them for a fair judgement. Keep your emotions and politics in the closet for a day.

Accusing others is an age-old tactic of diversion. 

This is evident in political parties and leaders who have been hogging on and in fact stand as a stumbling block for change.

Even the Communist Party in China has changed its leaders and they way they embrace change.

Change cannot be drastic and it cannot happen overnight. Many nations that went on the other path have learned the bitter lesson. Just compare China and Russia, its crystal clear if you care to take a closer look.

Change is not a bad, it’s the dirty politics of change that is threatening to drag us down. 

I don’t understand why we need to change the Government, especially when that specific change is being promoted and drummed into the society by those who haven’t changed themselves.

Change before calling for change, for change is for all. Work together for positive change that is free from divisive politics.

Let’s change Malaysia the way we want it and not the way some foreign concept of change requires us to.

Let’s Change.