BR1M a double-edged sword that cuts both ways

YOURSAY | ‘It is handouts to rakyat to make them dependant on the giver.’

BR1M not corruption, Wan Azizah disagrees with Dr M

Kingfisher: Social instruments of income support, such as medical assistance, childcare, universal free education including at tertiary level, are provided by caring governments that considers compassion for the not well-to-do.

The general public should view this as a public duty of a responsible and prudent government. On the other hand, cash handouts on a significant scale to enhance the purchasing power of those in need has its economic and compassionate value, but underlies a failure of government to effect a more equitable incomes and wages policy.

In both instances, a responsible government which is untainted in the wastage of public funds, and more troubling by corruption, can make decent claims that the approach is a fair distribution of wealth.

Where the government leaders are suspect of abuses of power, disregard of democratic values and imposing a form of tyranny, the cash handouts can be suspected as bribery. Remember, the benevolent despot is still around.

Democracy: Whether Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BRIM) is bribery or not depends on how it is implemented. The way it is done now is bribery.

If BRIM is given to 60 percent of the rakyat whom the government claims are "poor" and "needy" when it is saying we are already reaching almost developed status, then it indicates that BRIM is a bribe.

The lax way by which "poor" is defined is additional proof that BR1M is meant to buy votes. For example, an unemployed person from a rich family who is above 21 years old with no record of paying income tax can qualify for BRIM.

There are many loopholes for the rich to get BRIM. I believe the loopholes are intentional as BR1M is not just targeting the poor, but a sizable majority of voters.

Comparing BRIM with zakat or any other charity programme is like comparing apples with oranges. Zakat is given to the needy and not 60 percent of Muslims.

Hang Babeuf: I am not in the least interested in the casuistic arguments of various assorted mufti and other ulama whether BR1M is technically “rasuah”. Nor I am interested in hearing ineptly point-scoring opposition politicians offer such accusations for them to rebut.

The problem is a different one. The entire far-reaching nation-wide BR1M exercise is not appropriately targeted social welfare where it is most needed. That rationalization will not hold water. BR1M is, and was conceived and intended as, a comprehensive exercise in political management. It has terrible effects.

It creates and promotes, it widens the reach of and further entrenches, the disabling values and passive ethos of a “patronage-based society”. It promotes unfounded notions of entitlement and encourages dependency.

It goes against everything that Malaysia has claimed to stand for, since Vision 2020 and throughout PM Najib Razak’s national transformation agenda.

It cripples, not advances, the cultivation of an active, productive self-reliant and psychologically autonomous citizenry, people and nation. “Berdikari”? I think not.

Aries46: If BR1M is bribery and corruption to gain votes, it translates that some other government aid to help the low-income masses can also be construed as such. It has its pros and cons.

But Malaysians have responded well to this handout despite its paltry sum. People have little option. The incompetency and excesses of the ruling regime, its devastating effect on the economy and cost of living and the resultant hardship on people's livelihood has rendered them voiceless but to take whatever little is thrown their way regardless of its motive and ethics.

So to oppose BR1M as corruption is not politically right. Desperate times brings desperate measures.

Disgusted: BRIM is like charity to a beggar. It is handouts to rakyat to make them dependant on the giver. Instead of creating opportunities for people to be self-sufficient Umno-BN gives handouts of hardworking taxpayers’ money to those who are not working or unwilling to work.

In reality, it is dished out by BN representatives to those who they think will vote for them. No one checks to find out if the really needy receive them.

The people deserving BRIM are those who have lost their breadwinners due to misfortune of sickness or accidents. Many families are unable to sustain themselves due to this reason. Handicapped people living below poverty line should also be in line for such benefits.

At the moment, even well-to-do pensioners and young people with means of living well seem to be exploiting getting BRIM.

We are fast becoming a nation of beggars. Instead of teaching and enabling rakyat to fish, Umno-BN keeps rakyat dependent on them by giving them cash.

NNFC: When it was given out initially at a neighbouring school hall, the officials were wearing BN shirts, and this projected a very false message that the money (BRIM) was from BN.

This by itself is considered a bribe. The money has got invisible strings attached to it.

Legit: BR1M is corruption. It is directly bribing the people to vote for BN. The people who are receiving it are desperate and they see the government giving them money is a great gift and hence they support the BN government.

The BN government is using your and my money to bribe the people. So, for those who do not get BR1M, we end up suckers paying for people who do not deserve it and helping this allegedly corrupt government to continue with its plunder.

Hopeful123: BR1M is corruption alright. Do you think that giving out such handouts will solve the peoples' problems? They are just handouts to appease the people on a very short-term basis.

Look at the way BR1M payment is broken up to relief growing frustration over a given period. A caring government will go all out to improve the economy and bring about long-term solutions by providing jobs.

Demi Rakyat: BRIM is not given with an honest, clean heart and intention - as we say "tak ikhlas". Najib gives out money to buy the people's votes - "I do this for you, and you know what to do." That is in any language corruption.

I Luv Malaysia: During the Soviet dictatorship of Stalin, he came to one meeting with a live chicken. He started to pluck its feathers one by one. The chicken quacked in pain, blood oozing out.

It gave out heart-breaking cries but he continued without remorse plucking feather after feather until the chicken was completely naked.

After that, he threw the chicken on the ground and from his pockets, took out some chicken feed and started to throw it at the poor creature. It started eating and as he walked away, the chicken followed him and sat at his feet feeding from his hand.

Stalin then told his party members, "This chicken represents the people, you must disempower them, brutalise them and leave them. If you do this and then give them peanuts when they are in that helpless and desperate situation, they will blindly follow you for life.

“They will think you are a hero. They will forget that it is you who brought them to that situation in the first place."

Does this sound familiar?- Mkini