SPH's asst foreign news editor mocks Malaysia's political parties' electioneering as "Santa Claus" politics

 The Malaysian Insider, 17 Mar 2013
As Election 2013 fever spurs Malaysian politicians from both sides to serve up expensive sweets to boost their bid, a Singapore paper reminded voters today that they would be the ones to pick up the tab.
“The intense fight for votes has led both the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak and the opposition PR to promise more and more populist measures.
“You could call it Santa Claus politics,” Reme Ahmad, assistant foreign news editor in the widely-read Straits Times, wrote in an opinion piece for the paper’s Sunday edition.
He noted that Najib who leads the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) has been dishing out more cash “gifts” to offset rising living costs that are the main concerns of a significant 40 per cent of the 13.3 million voters struggling with bread-and-butter issues; and signal there may be more to come if the coalition maintains power. Full story

Related:
Pork Barrel Politics in Singapore by the PAP - Singapore-lighthouse.blogspot.sg