After free dinners, now it is a lucky draw for free petrol vouchers – with a free traffic jam thrown in, writes Rakyat Jelata.
At 3.30pm today (24 April 2013), I saw a crowd of people gathered round my car which was parked in one of the bays in front of CIMB Bank, on the slip road along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang.
I was at first alarmed, wondering if an accident had happened involving my parked car. On reaching the spot, I saw some men distributing what looked like slips of paper with the 1Malaysia logo.
I asked a passer-by what this was all about, and he told me that they were distributing vouchers for free petrol worth RM50 to the public.
This was certainly a God-sent photo opportunity to document another 1Malaysia farce so blatantly played out in the middle of the afternoon, causing another unjustified traffic jam on the slip road. People seemed to be coming from all directions, some taxi drivers, some members of the public in Perodua Kancil cars, and even persons in large MPVs, vans and other upmarket models.
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One can understand what RM50 of free petrol would mean to the taxi drivers whose earnings fluctuate from day to day, but for the business persons and upmarket car owners, this would only be an undeserved freebie i.e. a BN ‘gift’, or more likely an apparent ‘bribe’. Office workers were also pouring out of the buildings nearby, some out of curiosity, and some for the grab.
Still, taking the ‘bribe’ and voting for the other side, which seems to have become the justification for taking the opportunity to grab the ‘handouts’ doesn’t justify the greed that drives people to go on a grabbing rampage in disregard of those who better deserve it.
Hopefully, this ‘grab-all-you-can’ attitude will subside after the GE13 on 5 May and the public will come back to their senses. I had to wait for about 30 minutes before I could leave the parking bay, even though the crowd had moved on to the other side of the road, then further down. You will see why from this pictures taken.
The impression given by this distribution was that this was a free-giveaway, but, like all BN handouts, there is a catch to these so-called 1M RM50 petrol vouchers. These were NOT the vouchers themselves; in fact it was a distribution of forms to be entered for another ‘lucky draw’ or ‘lottery’ for ‘lucky’ persons whose names, addresses and IC numbers would be pulled out of a hat.
In my photo of the slip, you will see the words “BORANG CABUTAN BERTUAH” under the 1Malaysia logo. What a mean and cruel trick to play on the poor!
This is what the BN government will give the people if they ever come to power again. They will be a BIG HOAX, as they have been for the past 56 years.
It is certainly time to wipe out corruption, exploitation and the mean contempt with which Umno-BNs hold the rakyat. It is time for the Rakyat to regain their dignity and humanity by withdrawing the mandate to govern from the Umno-BN autocrats!
Hidup Rakyat! Bangkit Rakyat!
Rakyat Jelata is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to our TA Online section
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
What do you think if a govt constantly using money to get support or votes,isn’t this amount to bribery? What the EC and MACC got to say about this?
Anyway,if a govt is good,it is good.There is no need for these actions(cash enticement).It is when one is scared of losing that they will resort to all sorts of means to get votes.
It is no wonder the BN govt cannot run away with the image of a corrupted govt.