Will second BR1M be hiked to RM1,000?

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang yesterday said that Malaysians are not only looking forward to a second round of Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) of RM500, but are expecting it to be doubled to RM1,000 or more when the budget is announced later today.

This expectation for more goodies is Premier Najib Abdul Razak's own doing, said Lim in a statement.

"Najib has himself to blame that the country's annual budget presentation in Parliament has become an annual Santa Claus occasion, all because of Najib's indecisiveness and obsessive fear of the 13th general election, causing him to transform his 42-month premiership into a prolonged and unending electioneering campaign," he said.

Lim said that the BN-led government had through its representation at various levels, already had built expectations for goodies including a second BR1M in the budget.

The expectations, he said, also included the possibility that the BR1M would be expanded to cover households with income that did not previously qualify for the aid.

"If the second BR1M payment is not more than double the first BR1M payout of RM500 or does not benefit more than the 4.2 million households earning less than RM3,000 a month, Najib and the Umno and BN government should expect an adverse backlash from the Malaysian people," he said.

'Goodies over good governance' 

He noted that RM2.1 billion was allocated for the BR1M in the previous budget in a bid for woo voters but the effort was set back by the National Feedlot Corporation scandal and the police mishandling of the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.

Trying to control the damage, Lim said BN resorted to hijacking the Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations by imposing its election theme of ‘Janji Ditepati', only to court further backlash.

"Can a second payment of BR1M as well as a cornucopia of other goodies to various sectors in the 2013 Budget, restore Najib's popularity and the electoral fortunes for Umno/BN for the 13th general election?

"Only the results of the polls, whether held at the end of the year or early next year, can provide the answers," he said.

Lim lamented that the government is more occupied with formulating ways to fortify Umno and BN's position in the next general election through the budget, instead of focusing on good governance.