Sunday, July 01, 2012

'Teng: We May Give Old Folk RM100 Too', The Sunday Star, 1 July 2012

NIBONG TEBAL: Barisan Nasional may continue the present state government’s incentives to Penangites when it recaptures the Penang administration from Pakatan Rakyat.
Penang Barisan chief Teng Chang Yeow said the coalition had no qualms about giving out the incentives, including the RM100 incentive for senior citizens, which a section of Penangites presently receive under the state’s appreciation programme.
“If the people wish for these incentives to be continued and if it truly helps improve the people’s lifestyles, then as a responsible government, we will extend it to them, and perhaps do even more.
“But we must first look at our resources, if we have the capability of doing so,” he said during a 1Malaysia Rapat Rakyat forum at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Engineering Campus in Transkrian here yesterday.
Teng also said if the incentives merely brought happiness to the people, without changing their lifestyle for the better in the long run, then Barisan may not continue with it.
At present, he said, it seemed as though the state’s incentives were only meant for voters as well as for those born in Penang.
Teng said over the years, the Federal Government had practised giving aid to the people through various welfare programmes, including for education, health and housing, but it did not go to town with them.
“We have set up different funds to disburse aid to various groups of people, who are in need of financial assistance.
“And the people too have learned to accept this as a way of life,” he said.

USM Social Science School deputy dean Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian claimed that the present state government did not have specific policies to address the needs of the target groups, other than use populist approaches, such as through the giving of RM100 under its appreciation programme.
“Populist approaches will not bear fruit in the long term, and eventually the people will be able to determine the kind of state government they would want,” he said.



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