Dr M harps on fishermen allowances again

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad still appears to be displeased with the monthly government allowance for fishermen, despite assurance from a cabinet minister that this would not be abolished.

Mahathir had picked on the fishermen allowance again during an interview with business website Investvine published today.

"(The previous government) used to give money to the fishermen, whether they catch fish or not, it doesn’t matter they get (RM)300 a month like a salary.

"Now we can’t afford to do that because the money that was given to them was filched from the government or from illegal sources," he said.

Two weeks ago, Mahathir and Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Salahuddin Ayub gave conflicting statements on the fishermen allowance of between RM200 and RM300 monthly.

Mahathir had in an interview with Malay Mail, said the aid would be scrapped, but Salahuddin had at a press conference said it would be maintained.

Salahuddin later issued a statement saying Mahathir had meant the scrapping of one-offcash incentives by the BN government for fishermen, and not the allowance.

Earlier in the Investvine interview, Mahathir said that giving cash handouts in general undermined productivity and created a reliance on government support.

"This undermines their work ethics, they no longer work in order to earn a living. They feel that well even if you don’t work the government has a duty to support them, and this is of course very bad because that means they are not productive.

"Eventually the number of people who are productive would be reduced and they would not be able to pay the taxes which the government needs in order to support this very lavish style of administration that gives free gifts to the people.

"So we have to change that and it would cost something," he said. - Mkini