VOXPOP Racist, inefficient and corrupt governments are responsible for making the lives of the people miserable.

Najib: Political certainty vital to economic growth

Onyourtoes: I think everyone wants stability, not just businessmen and wealthy people. Political stability is the function of many factors, including a sitting government willing to step down if that government is found wanting and incompetent.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, please get your logic right: the source of political instability is the government, not the people.

Just look around us. Irresponsible governments, corrupt governments, inept governments and governments cheating and spending way beyond their means.

They are the sources of instability because they erode people's savings and make their lives miserable.

Ksn: Nobody will argue against your view here, Najib, that political stability is most important for investors and for development.

You should have added that the country also, at the same time, needs politicians of integrity, competence and who are not corrupt to lead the nation.

Umno Baru/BN has been short of such good men and women for about 30 years now and there are no such people in sight in the party.

JomUbahUbah: I believe all the Chinese businessmen will not be so easily threatened by our Mr Flip Flop.

Bender: As much as I despise Najib and his corrupt ways, I have to agree with him on this one. Yes, political stability is crucial for economic growth.

Nothing is more evident to support this notion than what is happening right now in Penang, Kedah and Selangor.

Political certainty - that the government is stable, efficient and free of corruption - did play a role in the relative economic prosperity enjoyed by these states since the Pakatan government took over.

I might also add that such prosperity is not only economic but social and religious as well (Kelantan is the best example of the latter).

So, let's take the premier's vision to heart and start making changes. Bring the racist, inefficient and corrupt BN government down and replace it with a Pakatan government this coming general election, for the sake of economic and social prosperity.

Queenie: If you continue with your ‘government knows best' strategy, nothing is going to work. You first have to admit that the present regime knows beans about wealth creation.

All it knows is to throw as many spanners into the works and, of course, to stick its grubby fingers into the cookie jar.

You must have the will and resolve to fight corruption and set free the forces of free enterprise before you can see positive results.

Jefferson76: How to have stability when this government is always flip-flopping? No thanks. I would like to let someone else have a go at running the show. It really cannot get worse, so there is nothing to lose.

Lim Chong Leong: What are the certainties that we have today under BN? That BN and PM are corrupt? That crime involving top Umno warlords does not get investigated?

That Umno is stoking racial and religious polarisation? That huge amounts of illicit cash outflow are carried out by Umno?

That the law and order machinery of government is being abused by Umno to protect themselves and to persecute anyone who questions them?

That the other BN partners are lame ducks who are just as corrupt? Under these circumstances, I think Pakatan is a better bet for political and economical stability.

Are subsidies for rakyat or cronies, asks Anwar

Wira: If they can squeeze RM10 from each rakyat every month, that would mean they can have RM3.24 billion more a year to create opportunities for themselves and their cronies. RM10 cannot enrich us, but RM3.24 billion can certainly enrich many within that closed circle.

Anonymous #04866654: Actually, the original budget is always made to look good as it is either understated or distorted by the prime minister, meaning that he now needs to table a supplementary budget to supplement the original one so that the original one works. QED.

Ourvotesdecide!: Just visit the longhouses and kampung in Sabah and Sarawak. You will clearly see that it's the BN cronies who profit by making huge, false claims from the contract to transport and supply the supposedly subsidised goods.

Lots of hanky panky continue to take place. Even at the ports like Miri Port in Sarawak, there are barge/tugboat/ship operators who buy subsidised diesel from ‘BN appointed suppliers' coming from everywhere and who transport and sell this subsidised diesel in international waters to barges/tugboats/ships that come from places like Thailand.

Onyourtoes: It has been long established that when the economy is free of distortion, rent-seeking monopolies and excessive inefficient privatisation programmes, there is no need for subsidies.

For example if we are able to free the APs for cars, car prices will be easily RM20,000 cheaper, depending on the model. That amount will be sufficient to pay for the so-called petrol subsidies for the whole life span of that car.

Get rid of cronyism and the affirmative programmes for Malays and bumiputeras can be financed without anyone feeling the pinch.

BN can regain Penang ‘with a simple majority'

Het: Since Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim is so confident of winning back Penang, he should tell his boss, Najib, to announce the GE soonest. The people are ready, when will BN be ready?

Rakyat Malaysia: I am not too concerned with hudud laws. If you don't do wrong, you fear no law. BN is of course fearful because they've committed much wrong.

I am concerned with corruption in BN. If BN wins through a corrupt election, it will say Penang people have gone back to it. If BN loses, it will say Penang people are emotional and uneducated.

Taikohtai: If BN can win more seats in Penang in the next election, let alone retake the state, I will wash all his cars for free for one year. Heck, I will wash all the winning candidates' cars for free too.

P Dev Anand Pillai: If Azhar talks about departures from PKR, he should instead ask his party why it sent agents to buy PKR MPs and assemblypersons?

Even burger sellers and former convicts can be the front men for BN. It does not take much to know what kind of leaders will emerge from this coalition, should they continue to win perpetually.

The people are getting smarter and they know that democracy is about the people's right to choose. It won't be that easy in Penang.

Edge of Town: Only in their wildest dreams can these jokers from BN see themselves back in power in Penang. I, like so many others, have seen the improvements taking place in Penang over the past four years under Pakatan.

Of course, the mainstream media by and large has refused to talk about these successes, nitpicking on the petty issues instead.

But Penangites are aware of the good of this state government, as opposed to the rottenness of the previous corrupt regime. So, perhaps it is Azhar - and his bunch of buffoons - instead who should think very seriously about closing shop.

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