Of election manifestos
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali disclosed that once the Pakatan Rakyat is in power, the New Economic Policy (NEP) will be replaced by a non-racial economic policy. It shows that Pakatan Rakyat knows the crux of economic stagnation. In addition to changing the policy, however, there should also be reforms in economic structure to release economic potential, increase the people’s incomes and alleviate the burden of life.
Lim Sue Goan, My Sinchew
Pakatan Rakyat has unveiled its election manifesto even before the Parliament is dissolved, reflecting the opposition pact’s high degree of confidence.
The manifesto is divided into four parts, namely The People’s Well-being; The Fraternity of the People; The People’s Economy; and The People’s Government.
Commitments under the People’s Well-being alone are attractive, including abolishing toll charges and the AES while lowering fuel prices, car prices, as well as water and electricity prices. It seems like the Pakatan Rakyat’s manifesto has further implemented the welfare state idea of PAS.
However, the country and the people have been caught in the middle-income trap with stagnated political reforms, declining management performances, rising cost of living and increasing number of livelihood problems. Pakatan Rakyat must explain how it will settle these problems once it is in power.
Pakatan Rakyat has put forward some new ideas in economic and government transformations, such as creating one million of jobs in plantation, manufacturing and service sectors. It would also like to reduce one million of foreign workers by the fifth year after taking over the office. It is our first political party or coalition to include the target of reducing the number of foreign workers in election manifesto. However, the key lies on execution.
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali disclosed that once the Pakatan Rakyat is in power, the New Economic Policy (NEP) will be replaced by a non-racial economic policy. It shows that Pakatan Rakyat knows the crux of economic stagnation. In addition to changing the policy, however, there should also be reforms in economic structure to release economic potential, increase the people’s incomes and alleviate the burden of life.
Pakatan Rakyat is quite forward-looking in government transformation, which has been neglected by Barisan Nasional. It includes the commitment to reform the judicial system, Attorney-General’s Chambers, MACC and the police force to free them from political interference.
The Parliament will also be reformed to enhance its overseeing function. All one sided regulations and laws limiting media freedom will also be repealed, including the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 ( UUCA) will also be repealed.
In fighting for swing votes, Pakatan Rakyat also promised to stop the operation of Lynas rare-earth refinery and review the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project in Pengerang, directly hitting BN’s vital spot.
Pakatan Rakyat also promised to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). The BN might face difficulties in gaining Chinese votes if it does not announce the recognition for the UEC before the election.
Pakatan Rakyat is also concerned about law and order, as well as public transport. However, there is a fly in the ointment as no specific strategy to fight housing price rise is mentioned.
The manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat is close to the people and it will indeed pressure BN. In fact, BN is also aware of its governance weaknesses. That is why Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak introduced the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) covering seven National Key Result Area (NKRA), namely reducing crime, fighting corruption, improving student outcomes, raising living standards of low income households, improving rural basic infrastructure, improving urban public transport and addressing cost of living.
The coverage of the seven NKRAs is similar to Pakatan Rakyat’s manifesto, but the standards of some areas have not yet been achieved.
If Najib wishes to fight for the return of votes with this transcript, he should then work harder, particularly in terms of livelihood issues.
I hope that the Pakatan Rakyat’s manifesto can drive a healthy competition between the confronting coalitions, particularly in terms of policy, as well as political and economic transformations, instead of encouraging them to continue competing in social welfare which diverts the focus and cause their election manifestos to lose meaning.
