Malaysian General Election

There's really no point in voting for BN. They're gonna win for sure anyway. Might as well vote whatever opposition there is to balance out representation in Parliament, to check the government.


Another thing: I don't like the BN government, but I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to policies. Things like cutting oil subsidies are what I think is unpopular but good for the nation. It is exactly on this point that I disagree with the opposition's idea to increase subsidy should they be elected to power. By this promise alone, I'm supposed to not be voting for them (opposition) already.

I hate populist policies. I don't like subsidies that are aimed to get the vote. I don't like Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton for their stances against free trade - NAFTA especially (they want to radically review it) - because I think they're just exploting laymen's misunderstanding about how trade actually creates more than it destroy. Obama and Clinton was actually telling voters that NAFTA has failed to create any jobs.

But BN does even more stupid stuff:
1) Stopping peaceful demonstrations.
2) Dictating to us right and wrong (eg: demonstrations are wrong).
3) Controlling media (and student activism).
4) Extending Election Commission's chairman's tenure at constitutional retirement age (this is definitely ....).
5) Approved Permits for imports (+1 definite ugly policies).
6) Using economic development to win votes (this is government's duty).
7) Development regions aka mega projects (more space for corruption!).
8) Institutionalized racism.
9) Members of Parliament that prefer to fix potholes than make a point in Parliament.
10) Party whip that ensures all BN MPs toe party lines in Parliament.
11) Excessive government spending on development projects (do tax cuts and let consumer demand stimulate the economy in a corruption-free way instead).
12) Government blackmailing people.
and the list goes...

People say that the economy is being mismanaged. I can't tell and I doubt anyone's take in this is accurate. Policy-wise they've got my benefit of the doubt. I think that Malaysia isn't falling behind because of poor economic planning, but rather corruption.

BTW, if I'm Prime Minister, I'll slowly cut away the oil subsidies and return them in form of tax cuts. You guys can cry all you want.