LGE boasted in an interview that his policy of giving away RM100 water rebate is a historical achievement for Penang and country!!!LGE claimed that this water rebate had help 170,000 poor and needy families in Penang. Most of these families are deemed poor as they lived in lower and middle cost flats. All was given automatic water rebates.
The actual fact is most of these families do not fall into the poor or needy category. There are even some that drive Mercedes, BMW & four wheels drive. Many houses in the lower and middle cost flats are rented to foreign workers, they also enjoy automatic water rebates.
This policy of generalizing the poor is a very incompetent and “lazy” way of identifying the poor.
It is actually a populist move to buy future votes.
Of course, LGE will get away with it, as it is inadvisable to over complain about it publicly – who dare to take away this small “ang pow” or “duit kopi”.
P.S. I donated away my RM100 water rebate, don't need this “duit kopi”. The local DAP YB in my area lived in a LMC flat, I wonder what he did with his RM100.
2 comments:
Hey there. But don't you think that if this is your argument then tax rebates, free education, etc can be considered vote buying? I think we need to have proper, practical regulations on this. For instance, it's really dumb that you can't belanja makan as that is common courtesy in Eastern culture. Anyway, I agree that a more rigorous process for identifying the poor should be implemented. ;)
Jed:
I agreed with your point about the weakness of my argument on the 'future vote buying'.
We are in agreement on a rigorous identifying process - I have seen a few homes in town without basic necessities like water & electricity.
The current measures - water rebates & free electricity - need to be improved for the hardcore poor.
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