Is Malaysia Already A Welfare State?

Hantu Laut

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin deriding PAS by saying that the BN had not only achieved but exceeded its benevolence as a welfare state is false and pure histrionic.

Either the DPM do not understand the definition of welfare state or he is trying to bluff his way thinking Malaysians would swallow his unfounded claim hook, line and sinker.

Giving across the board subsidies to the general population does not make you a welfare state if that what the DPM think welfare state is all about.You can't call your country a welfare state if there still exists abject poverty.Malaysia has pockets of abject poverty scattered all over the country.You read about them in the news quite regularly.Maybe, the DPM only read political news and missed this social scourge that still afflict the nation.

A welfare state has the responsibility for the well being of its citizens by ensuring minimum standard of living for everyone.Most Western nations are welfare states because they provide the minimum comfort and standard of living for its citizens.

A welfare state would make available universal free education and medical care, insurance against sickness, disability and unemployment, income supplement and old age pension.Malaysia, by any definition is not a welfare state.Its housing programme for the poor is pathetic resulting in squatter's colonies sprouting all over the country.

PAS proposal is good but can they actually implement it when they took power.It needs a lot of financial resources.The only way is to remove all subsidies for the general population and use part of the savings for welfare purposes.

The present system of subsidies practised by the current government is an unfair system.Its benefits the wealthy and the middle class much more than the lower income and the poor, particularly and food and fuel subsidy which should be scrapped all together and spent the money on providing welfare benefits for the poor, old age citizens and good public transportation system in every major cities.

The lower income do not wish to own a car but some are forced to buy one because of the poor public transport.The government's policy of putting a car in every household is wrong, it's a burden on the poor and lower income group, when they have to pay through their noses for a car that could have cost much less if the protectionist policy is removed.

Owning a car eats major part of your income if you are in the lower income bracket.Even some middle income living in the city find it hard to make ends meet.

It is common in Malaysia for someone earning RM700-800 a month to buy a car.After paying the monthly instalment and fuel they have no money left to maintain the car which is one of the reasons for the high road fatalities in this country.

Let's hear what Muhyiddin means by saying Malaysia is already a welfare state.I hope he can explain in details.

For PAS I hope it is not a political gimmick to fish for votes.

Nik Aziz here.