Umno-BN's welfare state - welfare for whom?

When PAS announced its intention to create a welfare state in Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib Razak was quick to criticize it saying that a welfare state was nothing new - Barisan Nasional has been working on it all along.

Najib cited the that UMNO and BN have been championing the principles of a welfare state in education, healthcare, food and fuel subsidies which the citizens of Malaysia have been enjoying all along.

Najib painted a glowing picture that UMNO and BN have been working hard to instill the attributes of a welfare state whileas PAS is now "merely" jumping onto the bandwagon in anticipation of the coming 13th General Election.

But isn't Najib contradicting himself. Just weeks ago, in London, Najib told the international press that the subsidies given out to the Malaysian people were no better than “opium” and thus the people needed to be weaned off them.

So, is it typical Najib double-speak? Or has the welfare state instituted by UMNO and BN gone terribly wrong. Rather than helping people out, the UMNO-BN model "merely" made them beggars to the state.

And now that they are addicted, stuck and dependent, Najib and his government want to cut them adrift so that others in the system - such as the IPPs and sundry cronies - can continue to partake of their regular portion of a fast-shrinking economic pie. It looks like even austerity drives are selective in Malaysia.

Is Malaysia a welfare state

Fact is, several countries have already employed a form of welfare state to govern their people - Britain, Sweden, Germany, Norway and Brunei, to name a few; thus the concept and running of a welfare state is nothing new.

But is Malaysia a welfare state as implied by Najib Razak?

Fundamentally, a welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover a variety of forms of economic and social organization" as defined by the Britanica Encyclopedia.

There are three accepted models to run a welfare state. The first model, the state is primarily concerned with directing the resources to “the people most in need”. This requires a tight bureaucratic control over the people concerned.

Under the second model, the state distributes welfare with as little bureaucratic interference as possible, to all people who fulfill easily-established criteria, such as having children, receiving medical treatment, etc. This requires high taxation.

The third model is similar to the one found in Britain, or the Beveridge model and is based more on citizenship and a certain level of welfare ‘as a right’, which may then be modified according to needs.

Does the UMNO-BN model comply to any of the fundamentals and models for a welfare state?

Welfare but for whom - the people or the ruling elite

Perhaps the main failing for the UMNO-BN relates to the Najib administration's disregard for “principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life”.

By propagating a “Malay first and Malaysian second” agenda, UMNO-BN has broken the first principle for a welfare state. Neither can UMNO-BN argue it is using the British model, where welfare is “as a right” and based on citizenship when it propagates the policy that Malays are first-rate citizens and the rest second-class.

Why welfare system in all of the world and the next condones such a basic contradiction?

Even so, Najib may still be correct when he said UMNO-BN had already established a welfare state in Malaysia. It's just that he did not mention it was a skewed form of welfare state, a pariah modification of a sort, customized by the UMNO ruling elite of which is he is also one. Even in UMNO, the majority get peanuts and only the top 5 percentile get everything.

PAS should therefore take heart. There is no welfare system as yet achieved in Malaysia. Certainly not by UMNO-BN. By all means, brainstorm with partners PKR and DAP to get one going.

Among key questions that need to be made clear are, what are the attributes of the welfare state PAS wishes to establish in Malaysia? How would it affect the country on at social and economic levels? Would it involve heavy taxation in order to distribute the monies to the needy?

Pundits that Malaysia Chronicle spoke to say it is a long list of nitty-gritties that have to be ironed out and will take time. That's for sure, but it is better to get it right.

Otherwise, they warned, the PAS model might become like the one practised by UMNO-BN, "merely" a smokescreen generated to guard the welfare of those in the ruling elite! Now, that is not a welfare state at all.

- Malaysia Chronicle