Diamond rings, Birkin bags and fawning GLCs while the poor become beggars

The BN led government is ceremoniously proclaiming that it is truly caring for the rakyat and so is making its cash handouts to citizens.

In the wake of two realities, namely, the exploding cost of living and the timing of these so-called caring-relief cash handouts, one cannot dismiss suspecting that it is all a vote-buying tactic.

The money that BN is paying out to qualifying citizens is not money from UMNO, MCA or MIC pockets. It is not even money that was earned from the profits of sound business management of the country's resources.

The handouts that the BN led government is making to the citizens is the citizens own sweat and tears. Can any economist deny this?

Further, what use is it to make a one-off cash handout when what that money can buy is only pay in part for some groceries that would not even last four weeks?

Is this gesture of seeming 'caring government' not akin to giving a man a fish when what he truly needs is not denying him or her the opportunities to catch his or her own fish everyday?

Little better than beggars but the kids of the elite get mega billion shares

Despite five over decades of leading this nation with the unquestioned loyalty of the voters, BN has put its low-income rakyat on that same band as beggars. So today, at the slightest economic and financial tremor in the global scene, vast numbers of the citizenry are reduced to beggars. How sad.

But look at the trappings of the BN leaders and their appointed and sanctified loyalists. Are they not the sole beneficiaries of the wealth of this nation?

Their children get mega-billion ringgit shares in out-of-the-blues companies. They families live a life on the fast lane ranging from driving Porsche to holidaying in the Gold-coast of Australia.

Oversized diamond rings, Birkin bags and fawning GLCs

Let us talk basics first. Just look at the way our leaders and their spouses dress to kill in their routine public appearances and doing-good public events. We are not saying that leaders must go around in tattered jeans and slippers. No. But when over-sized diamond rings, branded bags, pearls, and exclusive suits and silken wraps are the standard, one begins to wonder who is paying for all these.

Look at the way that GLCs and private companies have to spend to cater to the whims and fancies of these VVIPs when they are invited to grace the organisations' public relations events. Ask any CEO and they will honest-to-God tell you in a guarded whisper that it even puts hell to shame.

Today we are beginning to get glimpses of evidence of the extravagance of our leaders. Today we are beginning to realise that all these stories of wealth creation through privatization sold to the rakyat since the time of Tun Dr Mahathir, has only made the rakyat seek fish and chips whereas the fishing is being done by politicians and their families.

Apology, so what? Where are the corrections?

Yes the prime minister has apologised for the mistakes of the past. But where are the corrections? Is the cash handout the remedy?

What is truly needed is higher and better accountability, transparency and integrity in thoughts, words and matched with deeds.

Mind you we have not even got any close to the predicted 'Great Depression' of the 2030's that researchers are busy talking about these days. And we are already turned into beggars who should be happy and grateful taking some seeming cash relief from a caring government.

Wonder what it would be for Malaysians when the world gets gripped with the Great Depression in 2030? And that is not light-years in some dismal future mind you. All the petrol-dollars, all the palm oil gains, all the many resources and bell weather times of the past have been mismanaged.

The huge borrowings, the debt, and white-elephant monuments is what we would be left with. For even without the Great depression the rakyat have to stretch their hands out for fish and chips today.

Malaysia Chronicle