Money, money, money

When all else fails; when policies flounder; when rumbling from within grows louder; when the reform agenda stutters in the face of resistance from interest groups, throw money around in the hope of hushing up the protestations.

This strategy was used by Tun Abdullah Badawi after his fitness to lead Malaysia was questioned by Tun Dr Mahathir Muhammad and after his early promise of reforming the country dissipated into flip-flops, missteps and pandering to his party’s demands.

He increased the salary of civil servants and even put cash in the pocket of Malaysians through a one-off RM600 payment.

Underlying this move was the view that even though the ground had soured on him considerably by 2007, putting money into the hands of Malaysians would make them put their bitterness aside and vote him in again.

We know how that strategy played out.

By March 2008, he called elections and Malaysians dealt his Barisan Nasional (BN) its bloodiest nose and paved the way for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take over the reins.

Maybe what’s disappointing about politicians or leaders using money as the panacea of weak rule is that it reflects a belief that we can be bought.

Najib is doing the same now.

His advisors have probably told him that the ground has probably soured a bit from earlier this year.

The PM’s position has not been helped by flip flops, the mishandling of Bersih, and the inability of his administration to rein in chauvinism, etc.

He has now announced that RM1.4 billion will be given to around 500,000 underprivileged recipients, including senior citizens, the disabled and widows of army and police personnel.

The allocation, to be disbursed monthly under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s newly-launched initiative called Program Kebajikan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KAR1SMA), was increased by RM200 million from last year’s RM1.2 billion for 424,000 identified recipients.

So here’s the thing.

It is only RM200 million more than the year before.

Will this make a real difference to those in need?

Expect more largesse from the government as the prime minister tries to sweeten the ground ahead of snap elections expected soon.

The question is will history repeat itself? - Malaysian Insider