Many of the goodies in Budget 2012 are targeted at BN’s vote bank.
KUALA LUMPUR: Budget 2012 signals Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s preparation for early polls, with much of the handouts targeted at retaining Barisan Nasional’s traditional vote bank.
Many of the allocations are targeted at key constituents such as the civil service and Bumiputera voters. These form BN’s core power base. But the budget also contains provisions obviously meant to widen support among the lower-income group and the country’s youth.
The announcement of a half-a-month’s bonus payouts, raising the civil service retirement age from 58 to 60 years and RM500 cash handouts to public service pensioners were clear indicators of the significance of civil service support in maintaining a BN government.
Budget 2012: Signal of early polls
