Friday, August 13, 2010

Give a hand up not a handout

It is amazing to note that Lim Guan Eng still need the cheap publicity stunt of a welfare handout to shore up his popularity. Lim Guan Eng like to mingled with the crowd, taking photo shots featuring how grateful the senior citizens are when receiving welfare handout from him. The entire efforts are just a poor marketing construct aimed at shoring up Lim Guan Eng's popularity. It is most unethical for Lim Guan Eng to spend public money on cheap publicity blitz for his personal gain especially when he is suppose to be the people champion.

Penang unlike other states is well known to be the unwanted son of Malaysia. Long neglected and marginalized by the federal government. Penang with it's limited resources can not effort to dish out welfare handouts which will eventually run out. It is more effective to lift people out of poverty through micro-finance than welfare handouts.
“If we give individuals food for today, what will happen tomorrow? They’re going to be hungry. If we give individuals clothes for today, they’re eventually going to wear out, - Peter Greer”
If Lim Guan Eng is sincere in helping the poor and really appreciate the contribution of senior citizens, he should put in effort to design a micro-finance scheme aimed at helping the poor and senior citizens to earn a living. The primary way to help people is to create and to provide opportunities for people to earn a living.

Instead Lim Guan Eng seem to deprive the people the opportunity to earn a living when he insisted that the so called illegal hawker centers that have been operated for more than 15 years should be closed for good. Lim Guan Eng seem to like the easy way of welfare handout that keep individuals in a position of dependency. Lim Guan Eng doesn't seem to bother to lift individuals up and to give them the healthy sense of dignity that they’re supposed to have.

If Lim Guan Eng is sincere in helping the people, he should uses the millions of ringgit to start a micro-finance scheme. A micro fianance scheme does not deprived him the opportunity to mingled with the crowd, does not prevent him from taking photo shots featuring how grateful the people are when receiving micro-finance from him.







2 comments:

  1. Why mummble so much on giving $1000? You never mumble when UMNO, gerakan and MCA pocket billions when their pockets are already full. Youn ever mumble when they are already super rich.

    You keep yourself as a big toad in deep abyss. Once 55 years you - lucky if you have golden handshake. Most of 55 years old are retrenched - no money but have honey. How both survived? Gerakan Penang give money? All suck by UMNO and Gerakan.

    What socialist Gerakan Party? Capitialist Gerakan.

    Many have been loyal citizen paying taxes and when they are old and cannot work any more and no income you and your Gerakan is so heartless to say that they do not deserve the $1000.

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  2. Pity those over 60 years old you get a micro finance scheme to be a towkay, boss at 60 years old? One have to rent a place, get a licence, get up very early and to learn new skills to be the lao pan and fast to serve the customers especially if one is a clerk or office worker. If micro finance in earning a business is so sucessful, why spend 3 to 4 years in the uni and hundred of thousands on the education. What if the earning of living turns sour and have to be declared bankrupt? They will die without the coffin bed. Is RM1k enough for them to earn a living today? Or can they do like KMA - open for business and pay later? If RM1k is insufficient and request for more but later decided not but has spend the given money, who is going to chase the refund? Really all talk and never THINK INDEPTH

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