The rakyat is the hand that feeds you, PPBM tells Zahid

It is the people who fund the government, including the salaries and benefits DPM Zahid Hamidi receives, says PPBM supreme council member Rais Hussin.

PETALING JAYA: PPBM supreme council member Rais Hussin agrees with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that one should not bite the hand that feeds them.

However, Rais told FMT that Zahid’s understanding of the concept is the other way around.

“In fact, Zahid shouldn’t forget not to ‘bite the hands that feed him’ because it is the rakyat who feed the administration.

“Hence, the administration must work hard in the best interest of the people, in administrating the government,” he said.

Rais, who is also PPBM strategist, was commenting on Zahid’s speech to an assembly of government pensioners yesterday, where the latter exhorted them “not to bite the hand that feeds them”.

They should instead “be thankful to the government”, he told the crowd of 7,000 people.

Rais quipped that Zahid had “conveniently” forgot that the government’s funds came from the people through among other things, the taxes they paid.

“Yes, the government can print money or raise its debts, but the guarantees given by the government for such borrowings will still be borne by the people.

“So, it is the people who fund the government, including the salaries and benefits Zahid gets.

“So, to tell the pensioners not to bite the hands that feeds them, is devoid of any basic intelligence,” Rais said.

He added that Zahid should understand the difference between a government and an administration.

The former, he said, would never cease to exist, but the latter could change depending on who the people voted in.

“Perhaps Umno and BN have been the government for far too long, that Zahid could not differentiate the two.

“But if another administration elected by the people becomes the government, pensions will still be paid. It is the same in any country, including Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, where the government changes hands between political parties.” - FMT