PROMISES of tax exemption for youth, holidays and the five toll-free days for Hari Raya by Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Najib Razak would likely have limited impact on voters due to the lateness of the announcements.

With polling due in less than eight hours, analysts also believed that most voters would already have made up their minds on which coalition to vote for.

“Who watches Najib now? This is a desperate leader continuing to use public funds and free holidays to buy an election. Shameless and shameful display,” said political economist Andrew Aeria.

“I think most people have made up their minds and there will be no last minute change in voting patterns,” he said, adding that appeared to be targeted primarily at Malay voters.

In his final campaign speech, broadcasted live from his hometown of Pekan, Najib made three “surprise announcements” should BN be returned to power.

Najib promised to give income tax exemptions to youth aged 26 and under; to declare a two-day special holiday on May 14 and 15; and to provide toll-free travel in Peninsular Malaysia for five days during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations in mid-June.

Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya’s Socio-culture Department said while the tax-exemption may appear to be “good news” for the youth, he believed its impact will be “limited.”

“This announcement will not get spread wide publicly because its at the last minute. The result is, the impact would be limited. Also most of those who are 26 and younger don’t earn (above RM3,000. Where is the income tax?” he said.

“The toll-free announcement would also be limited because the public would rather prefer that the tolls be abolished completely, as promised by Pakatan Harapan (PH),” he said.

Ilham Centre executive director Hisomudin Bakar said the prime minister’s speech lacked exuberance of ideas.

“The (caretaker) prime minister should have been more careful. He should be aware that BN is in its most vulnerable position and that it is imperative that it projects the most confidence,” he said in a live interview with Astro Awani.

“But looking at his performance, I think there’s some tremors in the party’s confidence. It is quite apparent that this is part of an additional manifesto.

“But the suddenness of the announcement meant that there isn’t enough time for voters to digest them. Between (PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s speech) and BN, it’s a difference between maintaining performance and offering a new hope. Offering new hope will better capture the imagination,” he said.

Marques Jeevan Meon, an assistant director from the Prime Minister’s Department, who was present during the live interview, said most youth are not taxpayers to begin with: “My issue is how many young people are paying taxes anyway. We need to realise in terms of numbers. How many of them are there?”

Marques, who works in the engineering, innovation and sustainability section, added: “The youth want to know why they are being offered these incentives. But if you offer in such a short notice, whether it has an effect, we can only know tomorrow.” – May 8, 2018.