Makkal Bakti

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, Charity, Pertubuhan Bunga Tanjung, Balkis

Walski's timing apology note: This should have been posted weeks ago... Walski's apologies. But then again, let this serve as a reminder to whom it may concern: We Have Not Forgotten!

Urban legend has it that this was the spirited war-cry heard when the Balkis and Pertubuhan Bunga Tanjung organizations held their respective dissolution meetings...

Makkal Bakti! Makkal Bakti!

And in the process, these two organizations "donated" a large chunk of their respective treasuries to Bakti... the federal level Minister's wives charity organization. As if only BN-related organizations are capable of being charitable...

If charity begins at home, then for these two BN-related wives' organization, charity continues in their friends' homes.

Makkal Bakti! Makkal Bakti!
(politically charitable, and more, in the full post)

Walski has no problems with charity, per se. Far from it. Charity is good. Charity is one of those characteristics that make us human - caring for those less fortunate than us. But what defies logic is the notion that only BN-led organizations are capable of doing charitable works.

Pertubuhan Bunga Tanjung (or PBT) reportedly emptied its coffers amounting to RM 590,665 during its dissolution, and distributing it very "charitably" in the following manner:

• RM 20,665 distributed among the Penang Cheshire Home, Mental Health Association of Penang, and Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital
• RM 220,000 to the Bureau on Learning Difficulties at its Bold-Bunga Tanjung Centre in Seberang Perai, and
• RM 350,000 to Bakti

What's wrong with this picture? It's one thing if the bulk of the "donation" had gone directly to the Cheshire Home, MHA and Mount Miriam Hospital - but the bulk of it to Bakti?

Makkal Bakti! Makkal Bakti!

The Sun: Going the way of Balkis (via Jeff Ooi)

But PBT were only following a precedent set by Balkis (the Selangor equivalent of PBT), who of course did much better - they gave away a whopping RM 9.9 million to Bakti...

Khir Toyo, former Chief Minister of Selangor, in his blog posting on April 27th, made the assurance that the monies would be channeled directly to Bakti, and not to 3rd party accounts, and that the transfer was done in line with Balkis' constitution. Oh, and how Balkis had done a good job while he was in office... yada, yada, yada...

All of which are totaly beside the point.

The point here is the underlying logic that only BN-related organizations are capable of being charitable, which is the implication of what PBT and Balkis did. If Balkis was not BN-exclusive as Khir Toyo claims, why can't it continue post-BN?

At least Balkis didn't burn, or otherwise destroy, the money...

Granted, all this happened very soon after March 8th, and therefore on Walski's part, this post is way, way late... But Walski doesn't want these BN babes to forget that the people don't have that short a memory...

That's the problem when the political incumbents are the incumbents for too damn long. Everything becomes okay... even giving away what's not rightfully yours to begin with.

Makkal Bakti! Makkal Bakti!

Walski's Tamil misusage disclosure footnote: Granted, the phrase Makkal Bakti doesn't mean anything... well, nothing meaningful anyway. Walski could have opted for Sakti Bakti, if he wanted to, but myAsylum's supreme marketing council decided that Makkal Bakti would sound better... and catchier.