'Najib's advice not to steal after Tesco incident misses the point'

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's advice to Malaysians to make an honest living in light of a high-profile theft incident at Tesco Bukit Mertajam misses the point, says Machang Bubuk state assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon.

Lee said the government is partially responsible, as it failed to ensure that the poor is sufficiently protected in difficult economic times.

"The prime minister failed to review the existing social safety net and have instead cut back on welfare and general aid which is helpful to the poor to get by," he said in a statement today.

In the Tesco Bukit Mertajam theft incident, the hypermarket chain declined to press charges against a shoplifter and instead offered him a job after verifying his claim that his wife was in intensive care unit and he had three children to care for.

Lee said the Tesco incident is not so much of an example for the private sector to be compassionate but a wake-up call for the government to address the issue of unemployment.

Lee claimed that the number of poor and hardcore poor families have been on the rise in the last five years amid the depreciating ringgit, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and endemic corruption.

He said the theft is not an individual issue but a systemic matter.

"The government cannot escape responsibility by hiring foreign labour for the labour market while the issue of local unemployment and retrenchment goes unresolved.

"People would not steal at hypermarkets for a living if they had a choice," he said.

He said among the measures Putrajaya should consider are reviewing the minimum wage policy, consider abolishing the GST, and improving the social safety net, on top of stimulating the economy and creating jobs.  -Mkini