The Fox that Grieves over the Death of Rabbits

Actually the policy to help the poor is not a bad idea. The policy to provide opportunities to the Malays so that they get a chance to improve is a good one. However instead of teaching the Malays how to catch fish, they were given fish. However in the process of distributing the fish, the ikan bilis were distributed to the poor while the big ones were kept by UMNO for themselves. That is where the programme failed, not on the intent but in the implementation. Add corruption to this mix and you have what you have today. Look at Bernas, no one in the right mind would want Bernas to be in the hands of a private company of an individual. It should have been a professionally managed company with the profits returned back to the farmers who would be made shareholders of this company.

The above is a response from one of my readers. The comment contains 2 important points I wish to make. (1) The idea of a welfare state justifies the encroachment of government deeper and deeper into the economic affairs of individuals (2) the expansion of government which started with good intent is later corrupted by the very good people with good intentions selecting and picking winners in the economic race. This allows one section of the group, community, population to pull away from the rest with unfair outcomes.

The idea of an unchecked welfare state is not good because it leads to the underuse of living skills such as competitive drive, adaptability, independence of mind. Example: after 55 years of UMNO rule, it has not succeeded in liberating the Malay mind from dependence on patronage. As a result the Malays, by and large lose the skills I mentioned above.

The earlier article I write was not suggesting that we do away with the noble intent of welfare programs. Care for the aged, infirmed and many unfortunates must continue.

But the utopia involving the promise of security from cradle to grave is fraught with danger of a turn to tyranny and misery. The tyranny of the elected majority over the governed majority. The greatest danger is the promise of a world of plenty shared equally excuses the government to do whatever it wants. The UMNO government has always been big on its own New Deal. So, UMNO is able to tell the following story-people, the present situation we are facing proves the failure of the market system. In order to mend that, government must grow bigger. So you must support our spending ways and support our request to stay in power.

Well, we beg to differ.

When Najib Tun Razak took over, he declared the age of the government knows best (read big government) is over. Anyone can make claims and Najib is the maestro in making such promises because he wants to be a popular PM. Long on slogans, short on substance.

The real truth is- we have moved even deeper into embracing the belief of overstretched social responsibility and a centralized and a powerful government. We have moved away from the belief in personal or individual responsibility, laissez faire and a decentralized government. And all those who support bigger government because of the promises of monopoly, licenses and largesse, are eager to pitch in with Najib’s agenda of a bigger government.

The truth is, the age of big government, Najib’s own New Deal are very much the driving forces behind UMNO’s longevity. When Najib took over Federal debt was RM 200 billion. In the short years he took over, federal debt has gone beyond the RM500-billion mark. So, Najib was just speechifying when he declared the age of big government knowing what is best is over.

Next year, the federal government’s debt will reach RM503 billon nearing the 55% mark of our national income. Government has expanded into every field of economic activities making a mockery of his pompous declarations. Add the government guarantees on contingent liabilities of over 100 billion, the debt is actually more than 55%. This government is a frivolous spender.

we have been made to believe that benevolent public servants, disinterested experts must assume power that selfish economic people-unfriendly theorists had abused. Just as Roosevelt said in his inaugural Address and about his New Deal- Najib is now saying the moneychangers must be chased out from the high seats in our temple.

Malaysians must never be deceived by Najib’s publicity drive. Today mixing with youths all arranged by Star, yesterday jiving with the young who were more interested at looking at the Korean scantily clad singers. Garlanded at Batu caves declaring the government will stop the condominium project when the project was approved by BN government.  

Can we trust the fox that grieves over the death of rabbits?

Posted by sakmongkol AK47