If you know me in real life, you know that there’s one particular politician that I just cannot stand. If he ever contested in my area (which is bloody unlikely considering that he’s a Malay and I live in a Chinese-majority constituency) I would be the first to meet him and tell him, “Baliklah. Dah makan duit kita orang, sekarang nak makan lebih?” Translated, that would mean, “Go home! You’ve eaten our money, now you want more?” He’s well-known for using government money to boost his egos with unneccessary and unwanted burdens.

The biggest policy he made a few years ago was about the introduction of National Service. Blergh is all I can say to that.

The biggest expenditure he made was to send a guy up into space using government aka taxpayer funds of RM100 million (or was it more?). And he says this in today’s NST:

When we (BN) are in charge of the government, we implement a responsible and prudent fiscal policy.

*Snorts* The best prudent fiscal policy we, the rakyat, could hope to implement is to kick this joker out of parliament. That’s highly unlikely given he enjoys very strong support.

Full article below the cut:

ELECTION 2008: Najib: DAP banking on hollow promises
By Shahrum Sayuthi

27 February, 2008

PEKAN: Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday brushed aside the DAP’s election manifesto as hollow and irresponsible promises. The deputy prime minister said the DAP had most likely launched the manifesto knowing fully well that it could not possibly defeat the Barisan Nasional to form the next government.

“It is the typical work of the opposition,” he said after attending a meet-the-people gathering at the DRB-Hicom plant here yesterday.

“Unlike them, whenever we (BN) make any promise to the people, we would do so with full responsibility and base it on the capability of the government.

“Anyone can make promises, but bear in mind that it must be done based on our actual capabilities.”

The DAP’s manifesto among others, promises a bonus of up to RM6,000 per family for households earning RM6,000 or less a year if the party wins the election.

The party said the expected RM35 billion annual expenditure for the bonus would come from national oil corporation Petronas.

Najib said the DAP was making the promise because it did not stand a chance of forming the next government.

The party is contesting only 47 seats of the total of 222.

“That is why they do not care to take into account the country’s fiscal position,” he said.

“When we (BN) are in charge of the government, we implement a responsible and prudent fiscal policy.

“If we spend more than what we earn, it would only increase the country’s deficit and this would sooner or later force us to borrow.”

Najib said high debt levels would undermine the country’s stock market and erode not only investors’ confidence but the country’s image.

He stressed that it was crucial for the BN to retain its two-thirds majority in parliament as a prerequisite of strong government.

“Having a strong government would, among others, build confidence among investors. In this era of globalisation, they would only invest in our capital market if they had confidence.

“If we have a weak government which can collapse at any time, they would and invest in other countries which have a stronger and more stable government.”

Najib was also asked about the refusal of Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to shake hands with Datuk Dr Ahmad Ramzi Mohamad Zubir, his BN rival for the Marang parliamentary seat, on nomination day.

“A Muslim leader should have a personality which reflects the teachings of Islam,” he said. “Islam calls on us to maintain not only good relations with Allah but also among fellow human beings.”

On several members of BN component parties standing as independents, Najib said they would be sacked from their parties.

“It happens to all parties, and if I am not mistaken, there are six independent candidates who are originally from the DAP contesting in this general election,” he said.