I do think it is very commendable what the Penang government is doing for Penangites. Their Hardcore Poverty Eradication and the Senior Citizens Appreciation programs are excellent examples of a caring government. I was reading this article “The politics of welfare” in The Sun today and Himanshu Bhatt had written that “the political mileage that the Pakatan has gotten from this programme, whether intended or not, has been significant” (p 14). The writer was specifically highlighting the latter program – which basically entailed that each senior citizen would be eligible to receive RM100 every year by the Pakatan Rakyat state government. And some 83,000 residents of Penang, aged 60 and above, had already registered. And he added: “What surprised most people was not just the turnout, but the reaction of the elderly who showed up to receive the money. Newspapers splashed photos of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng being surrounded by happy people; one even had a shot of him being kissed on the cheek by a thankful old man”. Of course, Himanshu should know this first hand – after all he is The Sun’s Penang bureau chief, and not someone writing from a long distance.
Predictably, “the Barisan Nasional jumped, and understandably so” – and these are not even my words – but BN leaders have been quick to deride this scheme as a “gimmick” and a paltry contribution.
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