ANALYSIS | With Dr Mahathir Mohamad crisscrossing the Malay heartland and positioning Bersatu as an alternative to Umno, the coming general election is poised to witness an intense battle for Malay votes, especially in the rural areas.
Based on this, it appears that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Budget 2018 has been tailor-made to cater to this demographic.
The strategy is to put more cash in the hands of lower-income earners amid the escalating living cost.
Rural voters, the predominantly-Malay civil service and the lower-income group – which BN has consistently relied upon – have been showered with incentives.
Among the glaring examples is the decision to provide an RM1,500 bonus to all civil servants and RM750 bonus for retirees next year, a three-fold increase from Budget 2017.
Najib also introduced a slew of incentives for civil servants, numbering at 1.4 million, including time-off for pregnant mothers, time-based promotions and an improved home ownership scheme.
As for those in the agriculture and fisheries industry, Budget 2018 saw a record RM6.5 billion being allocated for programmes to increase the income of those in rural areas.
This includes a new scheme to increase coconut production, which Najib said will benefit 10,000 smallholders.
Padi farmers will also be given a special RM200 a month cash handout for three months when waiting for their harvest, while RM200 million will be allocated for a rubber tree replanting scheme.
The allocation for rural voters is more than what was allocated for special programmes intended for the bumiputera community.
Najib also revealed that a record RM2.5 billion has been allocated for Mara scholarships while RM555 million, up 362 percent from Budget 2017, will be spent on various Mara entrepreneurship programmes.
Surprisingly, Najib did not announce significant goodies for the Felda community. Although it must be noted that the premier had announced a slew of incentives, including an RM5,000 cash handout, in July.
Budget 2018 also did not sideline the middle class with reductions for income tax.
As for the minorities, Najib also announced a special allocation of 1.5 billion Amanah Saham 1Malaysia units for the Indian community whereas Orang Asli parents with children who make it to university will receive an RM3,000 incentive.
On the contrary, there appeared to be little reason for joy in the Chinese community with regard to Budget 2018. Over the past two elections, the community has overwhelmingly voted for the opposition despite Najib's attempts to woo them.
Interestingly, Najib also announced that the Federal Highway - one of the most important motorways in the country - will be completely free from Jan 1 onwards.
This will benefit those living in Klang and Shah Alam, Selangor who voted heavily against BN in the last general election. Will this help turn the tide?
Since most of the incentives will only be effective Jan 1, the general election is most likely to be held next year.