By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA SELANGOR, Oct 9 — Two hours before Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim showed up in Ijok yesterday, Datuk Seri Najib Razak was already in the Selangor mentri besar’s constituency, promising pay increases and clean water and electricity.
Just the day before, the prime minister has tabled a record RM230 billion budget.
Yesterday, Najib talked mostly in terms of hundreds and thousands of ringgit instead to voters who handed Malaysia’s richest state to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in 2008 on the back of rising costs and unhappiness over government wastage.
Najib told Ladang Tuan Mee estate workers in Ijok, where Khalid won by less than 2,000 votes in 2008, that they would see their pay rise by RM200 per month after “approaching every estate owner to increase their salaries.”
To much applause, he reiterated his budget promises, telling those in estates that they will receive clean water and electricity.
From Ijok, to Rawang and then Gombak — all PR-held constituencies — he repeated the same script, touching on the RM500 payment to all households earning below RM3,000, RM100 to students and hikes in civil servant wages and pensions.
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim also visited his Ijok constituency yesterday. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Despite doubts over Budget 2012’s growth and deficit forecasts, Najib is brandishing it to convince fence-sitters in semi-rural areas to swing back to the ruling coalition.
Khalid, on the other hand, arrived late to meet old folks from Ijok for the Jom Shopping programme which hands out RM100 shopping vouchers to those aged over 60.
According to the state government, some 170,000 senior citizens, which the mentri besar admitted “are our weak link,” are registered under the programme.
Instead, he left his wife, Puan Sri Salbiah Tunut, at Tesco Kuala Selangor to mingle while he rushed off to Gombak, defending yet another seat from Najib’s onslaught.
Comments (7)...
written by Duke, October 09, 2011 17:14:01
We must be a really gifted nation.........where else can you see the incumbent PM of a nation reducing himself to such levels?
This PM be one helluva desperate sewer rat.......I'm sure his dad would have turned umpteen times in his grave by now ..
written by Eskay345, October 09, 2011 16:23:47
Only Umno/BN can sway the rural folks by giving a dime here and a dime there to get their votes. You just try the same tricks on the middle class, the intellectual group and the urban folks and they will show you the middle finger because they know Umno/BN means corruption.
Appearing in droves at Umno/BN gatherings to get free 1M goodie-bags with tupperware, free T-shirts and monetary handouts can earn you a few extra votes during General Election, but then just try the same tricks on the middle class, the intellectual group and the urban folks, you get nothing.You know why? Because Umno/BN is synonymous with corruption and tax-payers hate corrupt leaders. ...
written by fairtoall, October 09, 2011 15:42:15
I am a selangorian and due to the goodness of the Selangor goverment, I do not pay any water bill. However, due to the corrupted BN goverment, my electricity bill has doubled as the BN goverment increased the electric tariffs. On top of the TNB cheats the public by issuing electric bills more than 31 days. Then they issue estimate bills. Why should this happen. They are cheating the rakyat wholesale and they can't even afford to give all their meter readers a binoculous to read the meter. Since the electric rates increase the more you use, it is imperative that the bill is read correctly and timely. But no, they come as they like and then because they are reading the meter in 33 days or more, I end up being charged or having to pay around RM20 to RM30 more as the last 40 units or so are much higher. This is how the BN goverment helps big corporations to cheat the rakyat. Because of what BN did, the money that I saved on the water is now used to pay the additional electricity bill which has doubled and not used I have to use the water money to pay electricity, I have to even top up an aditional RM70 to RM100 due to the increase in electricity tariffs. ...
written by Alan Tan Pei Yee, October 09, 2011 15:17:29
As the most economically developed state, Selangor cannot fall to BN. The fall of Selangor is disastrous for BN. ..
written by Ocassey, October 09, 2011 13:17:11
The state government has been adamant to retain most of its state civil servants who are too ingrained and intoxicated in BTN fed ideologies and targets ! These BTN troopers rear up their heads at PR "crucial moments" causing unwelcome detriments to the efforts of the present PR ruled Selangor state ..
written by barbara, October 09, 2011 12:18:48
PR is facing onslaught from this liar Najib/strongly aided by the main stream media..those poor naive estate guys/ladies do not have much access to cyber news on the TRUTH about the rampant mismanagement by BN ..easily swayed by promises of immediate cash/"mudah lupa mentality"...PR really have to go more often to the grassroots in the grounds now, to counter such BN liars!!! ...
written by malchindian, October 09, 2011 12:08:44
If the moles in Khalid's administration are feeding Jibby's pr boys his itinerary details, it is time Khalid used his moles in bumno to outplay Jibby's hand. PKR better get to the grassroots quickly with a counter campaign!
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