JULY 7 — We are familiar with the seasonal bargain sales whenever we
approach the days of cultural and religious festivities. Even before
Hari Raya (the Muslim religious festivities after a month long of
fasting), the public is flooded with all sorts of bargain sales.
A popular clothing merchant has launched its pre-Hari Raya sales of
fine textiles. Other merchants have also launched their own bargain
sales.
These bargain sales, however, pale in comparison with the bargain
sales offered by the chief snake-oil peddler in Malaysia — the PM.
By means of logrolling bargains, he dishes out economic morsels large
enough to secure the votes from the public. Logrolling is a term used
commonly in the US to refer to the granting of fevers by politicians
seeking re-election to selected groups in exchange for their support and
votes.
Najib’s grant of an advance of RM 15,000 to Felda settlers is a
logrolling act. Now, Felda settlers realize they have been
short-changed. The 15,000 is a sweetener to lessen the anger at
receiving 810 units of share amounting to around RM 600 gross value in
profit. Settlers have been used and piggybacked by rent seekers to make a
killing at the stock market.
Najib announces the grant of free tyres to cab drivers is another
example of logrolling act aimed at getting votes from tax drivers. The
RM 500 assistance after 50 years amounting to RM10 a year of our
existence is another sorry example of a logroller. Why the necessity of
giving the RM 500 in the first place unless your policies of
ameliorating poverty has failed miserably?
Indeed, if one observes carefully, this is how he thinks he solves
people’s problems. Providing short-term solutions to long-term problems.
Providing snake oil for short-lived relief rather than long-term and
longer-living solutions.
So he does the entirely opposite to what the second PM of Malaysia
resolved to do — to give people fish instead of providing them the means
to fish. So the short-term handing out of the fish will allow
recipients to eat once. That, to Najib, is his most effective way of
resolving problems.
Public choice theory
I have been receiving comments from one particular individual who has
been writing on the subject of public choice theory. I believe this
person has done some extensive reading on the subject or he/she is a
lecturer at a university teaching that subject.
The issue of public choice has also been studied by economists
especially in their attempts to explain how public choices are
determined. I am sure readers can read on this subject freely at their
own time. I don’t want therefore to impose my own lack of understanding
on this subject on them.
Here, I am going to write on my interpretation of one aspect of
public choice. Knowing that it’s too risky to allow decisions affecting
our lives to be made by a single person or even a legislative body, we
need to demand the setting up of institutions to compensate for the
inherent weaknesses of the legislator.
We must insist on the setting up of institutions and
institutionalised rules and regulations and strict adherence to them to
establish respect to law and order. We don’t have strict adherence to
them now because the snake oil salesman keeps on moving the goalposts.
Otherwise we are going to be manipulated by a maverick and a trickster
such as the snake-oil salesman.
We need an institutionalised system even if Pakatan Rakyat takes over
to compensate, like I said, for the inherent weaknesses and excesses of
the legislator. Decisions are made by a committee or the entire
legislative body is a myth, really.
Because decisions are made by individuals and when made by
individuals, they reflect invariably their personal motivations and
values. Najib’s motives, for example, are purely to seek re-election and
to stay on as the worse half of the first couple.
Contrary to popular thinking, the decisions involving the lives of
the public (education, business projects) are not determined by the
people collectively. We only have the illusion that the legislators we
elected before, give form and substance to what we want.
The reality is the choices that eventually affect the lives of the
public are made by the select few because of their own self interests.
Here is the upshot of the whole theory: When framing the choices that
are made out as choices decided upon by the public; it’s done
essentially by the lone or select few decision makers.
The choices these people make have nothing to do with the wishes of
the general public. They are done mostly to ensuring the longevity of
the re-election seeker.
Furthermore, the choices made by the chief decision maker reflect his
personal motivations. He is not entirely motivated by the pursuit of
public welfare but more by the pursuit of his self-preservation. He
trades favours by logrolling. Money in exchange for allegiance and
support.
Money to taxi drivers to get their support. The long-term solution of
giving direct taxi permits will only be implemented in two years’ time.
By that time, the Umno division heads and those proximate to corridors
of power would have filled up their bellies. The small morsels will be
handed to tax drivers.
Why not now? In two years’ time, some of the taxi drivers may even be dead. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com
* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).
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