Najib completely misses the CORRUPTION factor in Budget 2013: Or is it DELIBERATE?

Now that the national budget has been presented, the truth is certainly surfacing. The politicians are using the all important catalyst for socio-economic resilience purely to serve political party survival and not nation-building commitment.

The very fact that the PM has rubbished the opposition pact’s viewpoints and proposals as ‘not worth the paper it is printed on’ and that it is all mere ‘populist’ propaganda, speaks volumes of the real motivating factor for crafting Budget 2013.

The handouts that seem to be the BN’s trumpeting of ‘Janji Ditepati’ further tells us that Budget 2013 is basically a sweetener-budget cunningly crafted to bag votes.

Yes, even the opposition pact’s alternative Budget proposal may be suspect of becoming a ‘populist’ strategy. But at least, it offers no immediate sweeteners but takes on the battle of creating sustainable socio-economic buffers to combat potentially hard times.

Above all, no measures to combat corruption

What we are missing in singing melodies for the Budget 2013 in our post-budget analysis is the fact that the crux of the plaques affecting society is corruption. Corruption at all levels in all facets of businesses and services is punching too many holes into the socio-economic fabric of everyday life in Malaysia.

Yes, no nation is free of corruption. That is rhetoric. But when the man on the street is fighting a losing battle in his everyday living, then the battle against corruption is a foregone conclusion.

If only the government of the day can marshal its strengths and decisively reduce corruption significantly, there is no need to pump billions of ringgit to serve as short term sweeteners. If only the will to banish all the corrupt practices from mega-billion ringgit swaps to the street cop taking bribes is decisively tackled by the government, the ordinary Malaysian will be able to see his ringgit stretch far better.

If only all that unhealthy and unaccounted profiteering can be plugged by the authorities, we do not have to feed the rakyat with sweeteners to make ends meet. If only enforcement was performing to healthy standards, we do not have to continue to cheat and be cheated in our everyday obligations for survival.

But the root cause of all our ills is not addressed. The authorities will say corruption is only a ‘perception’. Law enforcers will back up by saying that since there are no ‘reports’ made, they cannot act.

High prices and still rocketing

Meanwhile, we know that prices are at an all time inflated high – from properties to land to vehicles to groceries. Everybody is desperately wanting to make an additional extra ringgit to make ends meet. What more of the tycoons who have to rape and plunder while the going is still good.

Conveniently we blame it on world prices. We play blind and deaf to the fact that we have oil money and yet cannot see this blessed revenue reach the little piggy bank in our homes. Instead we are living a nightmare of trying to balance the last fifty ringgit in the purse for the week and so clamor for the sweeteners and handouts from a political party that is determined to form the next government.

For as long as the battle against corruption at all levels remains a lip service the national budget will always be used to serve political interests. For as long as national budgets are tailored to meet political survival objectives, the nation bleeds, and the future of the citizens are pawned forever.

MAILBAG