Greedy Detractors Lament Pmx S Chicken Feed Extraordinary Appreciation Package

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AS Madani government backers and cybertroopers cheered PMX’s delayed “extraordinary tribute for Malaysians” in the name of gratefulness, their opposition peers berated the “the sweetener” as an insincere gesture based on its pathetic quantum.
Claiming that this is a frantic attempt to buy the heart of man-on-the-street-Malaysians ahead of this Saturday’s (July 26) PAS-inspired Turun Anwar rally, they enlightened those charmed by PMX’s ‘salesman gimmick’ that all the so-called tribute is after all funded by taxpayers, not PMX nor his Madani Ministers.
Describing PMX’s doling out of the so-called tribute yesterday (July 23) as “the most time-wasting announcement in history”, UMNO renegade Isham Jalil hit out at the illogic of the one-off RM100 for every Malaysian aged 18 and above after having squeezed an average RM6,375 per family based on the projection of RM51 bil SST (Sales and Services Tax) collection.

“Worse still, this comes in the form of ‘coupon’ as opposed to cash and is only redeemable as selected grocers such as Mydin, Lotus’s, Econsave and 99 Speedmart,” he teased in a Facebook video.

Likewise, the former UMNO supreme council member who was sacked for opposing the party’s cooperation with DAP the in by-elections on Dec 7, 2023 also viewed as “mind-boggling” for the Madani government to reduce the RON95 petrol price by a mere 6 sen to RM1.99/litre from the current retail price of RM2.05/litre.
“Imagine after 20 plus years of promises and days of waiting for this tributary announcement, only to be told that petrol price has dropped by 6 sen. ” he elaborated in a series of FB posts.
More brickbats
Specifically on the RM1.99/litre RON95 pricing, it has to be borne in mind that there is eligibility factor in play, hence there is still likelihood that personal wealth level may be a criteria to qualify for this perk.
Even as PMX has stated that the lower RON95 retail price is expected to benefit 18 million motorists, including gig entrepreneurs, the devil is in the details as the Madani government irons out the nitty-gritty of its target subsidy reform with an end-September deadline.
Over on his Facebook page, detractors, too, ridiculed PMX with one Muslimah (modest) fashion retailer ticking off the former for only having managed to slash RON95 price by 6 sen after three long years “instead of your earlier promise of 24 hours (should he win the election)”.

“Why? Because your promise was motivated by power craze, hence you failed to see through the logic back then” justified the commenter.
“Such promise earned you emotional votes from the rakyat. Now that you hold power, you’ve begun to feel the implication yourself. Bitter, right?”
Another commenter fumed at PMX for “getting carried away with the by UMNO culture of throwing RM1 and squeeze RM1,000 from the rakyat”.

“It’s never worth it to dole out one-off candies only to end up in misery with the economy getting bleaker, investors fleeing and subsidies being withdrawn one by one,” he lambasted.
One commenter contended that he would rather “swap the RM100 hand-out with elimination/reduction of taxes” or if need be, “a 2% SST should suffice”.

Another aptly put it that what was dished put hy PMX “didn’t match the impressive teaser”.
“I’m sure if PMX were to be the Opposition head at this juncture, the government of the day would have come under heavy fire,” he added. 

- focus malaysia

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