Its the Economy, Stupid!
See the recent spat between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir keeps at it, edging the current administration further and further into muck on decisions that he doesnt consider right.
Whats that left us?
It keep us from concentrating on the real agenda. The economy. We forgot that the unemployment is high, inflation is at the highest level in decades. Has your income increased lately?
Meanwhile Petronas reported the highest profit ever.
Anwar Ibrahim was right that we should keep an eye on the economy. He was telling its the economy! Stupid.
Tell you what I will give a simple solution.
Remember back in 92 when ASN give a whopping big dividend bonus to its shareholders?
Everyone who had big bonus then started spending. As a result the economy grew faster for the next few years.
To keep fire to the economy we could simply give every Malaysian dividend from Petronas money, straight into our account. so that every Malaysian have money to spend or invest as they see fit. At the same time we could open up some protected sectors to open competition. With every one having money, they could invest in housing, education etc. Then the economy would grow faster, reducing unemployment, increasing income to ordinary Malaysians. Opening up protected sectors to competition would keep check on inflation. And with the ringgit currently on managed float, a higher growth would result in higher exchange rate. So the ringgit is expected to go higher.
