Where does Pakatan Harapan stand on issues?
(MMO) – Do you know your representative’s or their party’s stand on issues like Bumiputera policies, personal liberties or English-language proficiency?
While lawmakers and political parties in mature democracies often express clear views on various issues, policy making and election manifestos have always taken a backseat in Malaysian politics that are dominated instead by scandals, viral controversies, and racial and religious conflicts.
Ahead of the 14th general election, Malay Mail Online interviewed representatives from Pakatan Harapan parties to determine the stands of PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) on various issues, including Bumiputera policies, education, human rights, democracy, minority protections, the environment, crime and public safety, foreign policy, and terrorism.
The party representatives polled were PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, PPBM supreme council member Akhramsyah Sanusi, DAP publicity chief Tony Pua and Amanah communications director Khalid Samad.
Some Pakatan Harapan member parties had differing stands on certain issues, such as whether child marriage and unilateral child conversion should be banned.
Some were also vague and did not seem to have a clear policy stand on some topics, such as on whether they would abolish Bumiputera key performance indicators (KPIs) for government ministries and government-linked companies, along with Bumiputera quotas for major construction projects like the Mass Rapid Transit; whether they would reduce religious raids and enhance personal liberties for Muslims; whether they would revive local council elections; and whether or how they would improve English-language proficiency among Malaysians.
