GE15: New govt needs to address critical issues of the people immediately
SHAH ALAM - The government that will be formed through the 15th General Election (GE15) should prioritise resolving critical issues that have been voiced by the people.
Research Fellow Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (Ikmas) of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid said if these issues were not addressed, there was a fear that the situation would get worse as the world economic situation was predicted to be worse next year.
"With the world economic situation expected to be worse next year, the country's financial performance to help the people will definitely be affected.
“This will put pressure on the poor and the middle class compared to the rich.
"The policy of the assistance and social protection system should also be overhauled immediately and assistance should be based on the 'life cycle'.
“For example, assistance is given to expectant mothers and babies, followed by assistance to children and a more comprehensive system which covers aids for the elderly,” he told Sinar Premium on Saturday.
He said this as he commented on the results of a mega survey, the Survey of Malaysian People's Voices Towards GE15 as a result of the collaboration of three research firms namely Ilham Centre, O2 Research Malaysia (O2) and Huayan Policy Institute Center for Malaysia Chinese Studies (Huayan).
The results of the survey summarised five main issues that must be resolved by leaders, namely the cost of living; economy, job opportunities and wages; education; political stability; and the relationship between races.
In the meantime, the economic analyst stressed that many were still not satisfied with the issue of cost of living and the price of goods even though the government had allocated large aid subsidies.
This is because he said, the aid channelled by the government did not benefit the right target group.
"Although the government has allocated the largest subsidy in the country's history worth RM80 billion to help the people, many are still not satisfied because the majority of aid is not given to the poor.
"A simple example, of this RM80 billion, most of it is oil subsidies that benefit the rich.
"For those with an income of less than RM1,000, the monthly subsidy amount is only around RM15 while for those with an income of RM10,000 the monthly subsidy is around RM1,000," he said.
Muhammed also emphasised the importance to elect leaders who understood the people's issues in order to be able to make policies more responsive to the people's wishes.
"If you want to look for a leader, first look for a good one, second look for a smart one.
"If you are looking for a leader who is not good, then the policies made are also not good for people," he said.
