FEB 2 — The Brazilian Experience

When it comes to government programmes for poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth, the whole world looks to Brazil for lessons.

Bolsa Familia, the Brazilian welfare programme that ties cash assistance to the poor recipients’ obligation to their children’s education, vaccination, etc, is a programme designed to not only relieve the burdens on the poor, but to also break the cycle of poverty itself.

It was designed to put the poor on their own two feet, and empowers their children with education along the way.

It’s a huge success.

But that’s Brazil, not a country we look up to besides football once every four years.

The Malaysian Experience

My father recently collected his BR1M money.

It was the same amount as the Chinese New Year ang pow my wife and I gave him.

He was pleased and I was amused.

My dad doesn’t need the money. A local MCA leader helped him with the application and he went along with it.

BR1M is a RM2.6 billion cash handout allocated for 5.2 million low-income households, with no strings attached.

Along with KR1M, Menu 1Malaysia, and book vouchers, BR1M is the “government’s effort to alleviate the poor’s financial burden,” so claimed Sarawak Local Government and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh.

He also said that it was important for the people to support the Barisan Nasional Government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak because “the prime minister has been working very hard and come up with various initiatives to transform our economy.”

Firstly, if that wasn’t vote-buying (an act of corruption), then I don’t know what is.

Secondly, giving cash handouts is not hard, even idiots can come up with an “idea” like that. But paying for it will be very hard. And pay we will.

Thirdly, recipients of the handouts with spend the money, so it will spice up the local economies for a little while but it won’t transform it, not for the better, at least.

The Opium

One-off cash handouts are essential in disaster relief. But the recipients of BR1M are not victims of any emergencies; these people are the victims of failure of governance that will need long-term rehabilitation.

So why can’t we have a sustained welfare programme that is tied to raising human capital, one that empowers the recipients by guiding them towards a more independent and dignified existence?

Forty years of New Economic Policy and we are giving out RM500?

How could RM500 possibly change a poor man’s life?

So let’s get real, BR1M wasn’t designed to change anything, au contraire; it was designed to not change anything.

Keep them poor, keep them hungry, and they will be eternally grateful for your addictive opium that BR1M really is.

It is the opium that buys the votes.

* You Tiup reads The Malaysian Insider. He can be found on Twitter at @YouTiup.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.