Pakatan Harapan(PH) economic policies of abolishing GST, corruption and crony capitalism would improve Malaysians’ livelihood unlike BN’s failed economic management that compels each of us to take 2 jobs to survive. Financial scandals and failed economic policies have resulted in high national government debt, high personal household debt(87% of GDP that is the second highest in Asia), high budget deficit, high depreciation of the ringgit and high cost of living.
This has necessitated the suggestion by Deputy Minister of International Trade And Industry Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan that Malaysians need to take two jobs to survive. Ahmad Maslan is effectively conceding that BN has failed to manage the economy well. The adverse impact of GST and the financial scandals of the RM42 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion controversies by BN, on families’ shrinking income until one job is not enough. Coupled with crony capitalism, best epitomised by the expected hike in highway tolls this year, Ahmad Maslan is correct that Malaysians now need two jobs under BN to survive.
For Ahmad Maslan to portray himself as a model of hard work, by saying that he does three jobs as a Member of Parliaament, deputy minister, and Umno information chief is the height of arrogance, that shows how out of touch he is with the sufferings of the rakyat who can not make ends meet. Unlike the ordinary rakyat, Ahmad Maslan is highly paid(some say overpaid) for doing 3 jobs and would be adequately paid for doing any one of the 3 jobs he holds.
I would also advise Ahmad Maslan not to try to drag me into his personal situation by equating the 3 jobs he has with the 3 jobs I do. Even though I wear many hats in my various responsibilities in government and to my political party, I have only one job – that is to serve the people.
Under PH, Malaysians Do Not Need To Hold At Least 2 Jobs To Survive.
Under PH, Malaysians do not need to hold at least 2 jobs to survive. PH will lighten the burden of 30 million Malaysians by abolishing the GST. Malaysians can still afford to receive BR1M payouts without the GST by running a clean government and conducting open competitive tenders.
A good example is Penang that recorded annual budget surpluses, historic low debts and higher cash reserves without imposing any GST or received any Federal government funding. In fact the Penang state government even directed the local government councils to bear GST payouts on behalf of the rakyat as well as give a one-off exemption for assessment rates for low-cost and low medium cost units in 2016.
The time has come for Malaysians to put BN leaders like Ahmad Maslan out of their jobs so we can live with economic dignity with one job and choose with our own free will or volition if we wish to work two jobs. If we are compelled to adopt Ahmad Maslan’s suggestion of taking 2 jobs, what difference are we from foreign workers from Bangladesh or Myanmar in Malaysia that takes 2 or 3 jobs to send money back home?
Malaysians do not deserve such economic servitude from BN. BN must be replaced in the next general elections so that we do not become economic refugees or economic slaves in our own country!