People Are Suffering And the PM Still Wants To Entertain?

What?! Only 10%? Cut only 10% of PM's entertainment allowance? And only 10% of his deputy's and his ministers' ENTERTAINMENT allowance, too? Shit! I thought it was their salary. I nearly almost regain a little sense of respect for Badawi. Hell, any bit of respect left is all gone now. Is that what the rakyat is worth to our leaders? only 10% of their entertainment's fees? That's all they are willing to sacrifice; not their salaries, mind you.

PUTRAJAYA, June 9 - The entertainment allowance for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will be reduced by 10 percent effective July 1, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday.

The move is part of the austerity measures to save public spending amounting to RM2 billion anually which include the freezing of paid leave for members of the Cabinet, aspects on travels for ministers, deputy ministers, government officers abroad, prohibiting renovation works on offices, the postponement in asset purchases and the holding of official functions.

"The government too feels the hardship faced by the people and felt that the leadership must show a good example in facing this challenge," he told reporters after chairing the first meeting of the Council on Tackling Inflation, here.

Abdullah said the savings of RM2 billion would be utilised to assist the lower-income groups.

Currently, the monthly entertainment allowance for the Prime Minister is RM18,865, Deputy Prime Minister (RM15,015), Federal Ministers (RM12,320) and Deputy Ministers (RM6,000).

Even if Badawai slashes his entertainment allowance by 50% (as some quarters suggested), many won't be satisfied. At least, I won't be. I would be a tad happier if they totally do away with his and their entertainment allowance. Do away with the entertainment allowance altogether, please. Cancel, abolish all entertainment allowance for the government and public sector. Even if the cut is temporary, only until this crisis tides over, it would show that the leaders care for the people. To the leaders, please, just stop entertaining for a while. If you do away with the entertainment allowance, even for a short time, then and only then will we, the Rakyat, believe that you really feel for us.

The thinking of such a human being, much less a leader, just doesn't make sense at all. Only the entertainment allowance gets cut, and even that, only 10%? The logic borders on sheer callousness, unfathomable stupidity and the highest form of insensitivity! The people are suffering, yet the Prime Minister still wants to entertain???! The people are scrimping, all worked up and worried sick about how to get food on the table, trying to sell off their cars and take the bus to work, and here we have Badawi and his merry ministers still having the heart to entertainment amongst themselves. What an insensitive bunch! My daughter complains that the canteen in her school has increased the price of a bun from 60 sen to RM1.00, and I am worried sick because I have to increase her and her brother's daily pocket money. Yet, PM and his ministers have 19k, 15k, 12k etc to throw away. I am so angry that I hope the money they spend to eat and entertain themselves at a time like this will..... (whatever, you fill in the blanks!)

And the irony of it all is that the PM got the cheek to publicize the current entertainment allowance that they are enjoying. It's like pouring salt on an open wound of the rakyat! How INSENSITIVE and callous can the PM , the deputy and ministers be! Here we are all stressed up on the price increase of petrol, rice and other foods, transportation, etc, etc., and the flip-flop PM publishes for all the world to see how much they are enjoying life with thousands upon thousands just on entertainment allowance...189K, 15K, 12K... like they have so much money just to entertain. And what about all the other allowances on top of their salaries? What about all the other perks? Badawi and his ministers don't have to pay for petrol from their pocket (salary), right? Petrol for government cars are all paid by the government.

So, how can Badawi claim that "the Government too feels the hardship faced by the people"? How can they feel our suffering if they don't have to pay for petrol from their own pocket? It is the Malaysian government who pays for the petrol that they use and for all the other things that we don't know about. And from where does the government earn the revenue to pay for the allowance of our leaders? And don't those revenue include taxes paid by the rakyat?

By announcing the above, Badawi and his stooges have only managed to anger the people a hell lot more. It befuddles me how stupid the Malaysian leaders are. If they announce that the PM and his deputy and ministers are doing away with the entertainment allowance in total, only then will they get a minute fraction of my respect. Cut 10% of their salary? Then maybe I will increase my respect just a fraction more.