BR1M & the B40 - Bribe or Benefit?

Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) has been the centre of a heated discussion in the lead up to the anticipated GE14 this year; one that has sometimes divided the political opposition. Is it a political bribe benefitting the ruling Barisan Nasional or a now common-place policy tool for social provisioning? Today we ask how does BR1M fit into the overall structure of policies and mechanism to deal with inequality and economic vulnerability? Also if there are moral hazards involved when democratically elected governments use such tools for electoral gain, or if such schemes are a disincentives to work or a source of dependency on the state.