Tun M advised not to politicise BR1M

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's so-called U-turn on the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) has elicited more comments from his political adversaries.
Dr Mahathir had dismissed BR1M as bribery but said later that the opposition would institutionalise it as a form of statutory aid based on laws and the budget and not as a special payment.
In KUALA NERANG (Kedah), Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid called on Dr Mahathir to stop continuing to politicise BR1M.
The Education Minister said that even if Dr Mahathir had changed his mind about BR1M, he should stop talking about it because the majority of the people had accepted it positively.
"Talk about other things, those that can benefit the people," he said to reporters at a 'Ziarah Kasih' programme in Kampung Tanjong Siam.
In KOTA KINABALU, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said BR1M may seem insignificant to some but it went a long way to help those whose earnings were low or nil.
He said in a statement that BR1M was testimony of the government's effort to genuinely ease the people's burden.
"Some of its detractors are changing their minds now. By saying that they will continue with the payments if they capture Putrajaya shows that they realise the benefit it has brought to the people," he said.
Musa also said that the about-turn by some on BR1M also appeared to be a political ploy to win the people over.
"The people must realise that BR1M is a policy implemented under the Barisan Nasional government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak. No one else can claim credit," he said.
In IPOH, Perak Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad said Dr Mahathir resorted to Machiavellianism.
The state executive councillor said the chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) always changed what he said to find a place for himself again among the people.
This was also true in the case of his change of mind about BR1M, he said. "He had said earlier that BR1M was bribery so as to get the people to reject the aid. When the people reject BR1M, it means they reject a programme of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Sbdul Razak or, in other words, they reject Najib.
"However, when he realised that a study showed that 85% of BR1M recipients regarded it as good and should be continued, he knew he had made a wrong assumption," he said.
In KUANTAN, Pahang Umno Youth chief Mohd Shahar Abdullah reminded Dr Mahathir against confusing the people and sowing in them the seeds of hatred for the government as a means of gaining their support.
"He (Dr Mahathir) knows that the policies and plans implemented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak are good even if some decisions may not be popular," he said to reporters.
Mohd Shahar said he could not understand how some people could blindly support Dr Mahathir, even when he changed his mind about BR1M, for example. — Bernama