Is there a limit to hand-outs?

It is the people who will eventually face the consequences if hand-outs, subsidies and welfare have become the norm.

COMMENT

By TK Chua

Are politicians generally a step ahead of the people? I say this because they must have figured out what the people want. They must have known how to entice and win them over to their side.

Judging by the latest antics, it is all about instant gratification, free lunches, subsidies and hand-outs.

Now we have to ask the people. Are these really what we want – subsidised shopping, free shopping, larger BR1Ms, more subsidies, less taxes and more freebies without bothering to know who will pay for these?

I think there is no rational argument anymore. There is no judicious consideration and proper debate over public policies and their sustainability anymore.

Can everyone get free or subsidised shopping every day? Are those getting it the most deserving ones in our midst? What about BR1M? Can we continue increasing the amount ad infinitum?

How many more targeted subsidies are we going to dish out? Taxi drivers are getting fuel subsidies now. But what about school bus drivers, truck drivers and other transport operators, do they deserve the same?

Fishermen are getting fuel subsidies too. But what about small time vegetable farmers? When and where is this going to end?

We do not like taxes, but we love more freebies. Do we seriously think these are manna that dropped from heaven? Well, I believe there was manna but I don’t believe the government is God.

How do we sustain such mega unproductive spending – spending that is not matched by corresponding increase in goods and services and productivity?

Everybody now has more money without having to work for it. What then is going to give if not prices? In fact it reminds me of a minister in Africa who said that since the people are poor, the government should print more money to give it to them.

See the irony and stupidity here. If we have such an eloquent solution, the world would have got rid of poverty a long time ago.

Is the any wonder why inflation has continued to mount? Read my lips, “high income” or not, we will soon be back to where we started.

It is the job of the government to keep the economy on an even keel. Sound macroeconomic policies must encourage production, create jobs, promote decent wages and preserve the value of the ringgit. Poor people need productive work, not hand-outs.

We will be in trouble if hand-outs, subsidies and welfare have become the norm. How many times do we have to keep reminding ourselves there is really no free lunch in this world?

If we are enticed to vote, unsustainable spending will become bigger after the election.

TK Chua is an FMT reader.