Pakatan Rakyat (PR) came out with another bright idea – knock down car prices so that Malaysians can have more disposable income – regardless of how the government can balance its income given there will be no taxes or the taxes on cars are reduced drastically.
And when PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli announced the proposal which will take effect if PR is to take over Putrajaya in the coming general election, the opposition forgets that local car industry needs to be protected in whatever means.
Ideas put forward by PR strategists, aimed at winning votes in the coming general election which is at present fiercely contesting, can be likened to ideas put forth by children in solving whatever problems they face at present.
They never think of the impact – long term and short term – of the ideas if implemented because the oppositions will always excuses later on when they cannot meet their promises.
Like now as they face problems in meeting their promises made during the 2008 general election where the voters, majority of the middle-income group who are now demanding but are shunned away by PR leaders.
Take Selangor for example, numerous promises made have yet to be fulfilled and the PR Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is giving the slip whenever the disgruntled voters wanted to meet him.
Memorandums sent by these voters were only received by the secretaries of the MB while the MB divert their focus on other issues that are seen as the ‘people’s issues’.
PR especially PKR is good in picking up issues to be sold for influence that make the people feel good and wanting but these have never been made good.
Reducing car prices sounds good and attractive but they never care how the government is going to get back the estimated RM8 billion and Rafizi never explained except saying there are other ways the government could get the income.
This just means he himself and his think-tank haven’t the slightest idea how except increase prices in other items – meaning whatever increase in disposable income of the people from the car tax cut will be spent on other items which prices would increase.
So, whats the difference? And reducing car prices would create more jams on the road – meaning more and bigger roads need to be constructed, more parking spaces need to be constructed and many more utilities for cars need to be erected.
On top of that, how is our local car industry going to develop when imported cars are on the same level – competition or not – countries which have car industries like Japan and Korea still protect their car industry despite them being developed in the sector.
The manner Rafizi and PR leaders put forth their ideas are just like children with wild dreams, working on fantasies to comfort themselves – in this case to comfort those who support them and trying to influence others to have similar fantasies.
