The difference between fried mee hoon and...

Recently, Get An MP PJU initiative interviewed the 2 aspiring parliamentary candidates for the coming GE2008. Here are some excerpts:

Question : Will you support the idea of retaining subsidies of oil and other essential items?

CMF : "Yes, I think so"

TP : "I think the subsidy system at this point in time needs to be readjusted as such that it benefits the poor and marginalised more and less so the wealthy. So for example the subsidy system in existence benefits more of the wealthy because they use the product more, then it is an unfair allocation of resources. So we believe in a system whereby grants are given directly to the poor and to the lower middle income to cope with the rising price increases. They are targetted and controlled, you won’t find leakages. For example our subsidised diesel being sold by fishermen from Malaysia to Indonesian fishermen. So that is the problem with the existing subsidy system and those need to be resolved"

Score so far... CMF:0, TP:1

Question : Will you support the idea of abolishing the New Economic Policy (NEP)?

CMF : "I thought the NEP has already ended…"

TP : "Absolutely. We believe that the NEP as it stands today favours the rich, wealthy and influential particularly from the bumiputra community. It does not benefit the bulk majority of the bumiputras as well as the non-bumiputras in this country. So inequality in the country has been increasing rapidly and only with opposition and it’s replacement with a policy that focuses on merit and needs, will the equality be reduced"

Score so far... CMF:0, TP:2

Question : Will you support that Petronas’ accounts be made public?

CMF : "I thought they already have their annual report. I thought the annual report is actually the accounts for (listed) companies to disclose to everybody"

TP : "Absolutely. I think it is important because Petronas controls a huge amount of wealth of the nation. Oil resource of the country belongs to the people and Petronas being the agent that manages the oil wealth of the country must be transparent for the people in order to show that the money has been invested and reinvested and distributed fairly"

Score... CMF:0, TP:3

Seriously... TP outclassed CMF in every way possible. While CMF answers "I think so, I thought so..." it makes you wonder what CMF really knows with absolute conviction. Compared to Tony's answers which are elaborated with amazing precision and depth, TP shines!

Go Tony!