COMMENT | Can local council elections destigmatise 'election goodies'?

COMMENT | In the last couple of weeks, several major announcements were made by government representatives.

They include the announcement of the Madani Economy RM100 handout to B40 and M40 Malaysians, the cancellation of the controversial PJD Link project, and news of a pending reduction in broadband prices.

Due to the clear proximity to the upcoming state elections, the usual complaints about election goodies and abuse of state powers have once again come up.

For many Malaysians, this is a regular occurrence during any election campaign.

These “election goodies” have always been a prominent part of incumbent campaigning in our local elections - handouts by governments and announcements of big projects or major policy decisions are often presented in the run-up to any election.

This is considered a problem because...