Pakatan Harapan’s Election Manifesto was a huge blunder

Hence the only way Pakatan Harapan can deliver its election promise of giving Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan 20% oil royalty would be to bring back the GST. As long as there is no GST then the oil royalty has to remain at 5%. In short, the poor people and Bumiputeras of Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan are paying for the removal of the 6% GST.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

“All police and civil service personnel should familiarise themselves with the PH’s 14th general election manifesto to know the spirit, philosophy and direction of the PH government even though laws and policies have not yet been changed…so that they would not act in open opposition of the PH pledge for a New Malaysia,” said Lim Kit Siang yesterday.

On 26th July 2019, Kit Siang said, “Give PH space to be open with Malaysians and admit if any of the promises made is almost impossible to be implemented, and I believe Malaysians will appreciate this rather than our attempts to hide it.”

In his speech, Kit Siang said the five “pillars” of PH’s GE14 manifesto are easing the people’s burden, political and institutional reforms, generating sustainable and equitable development, restoring the status of Sabah and Sarawak as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and creating a New Malaysia which is inclusive, moderate and held in high esteem by the world.

Lim added Malaysians including PH leaders should realise and acknowledge that many of the coalition’s supporters felt that the PH government was now following the ways of the Barisan Nasional government which it toppled.

“I believe they are wrong but at the same time we must be able to convey the message and convince them that their disappointment is misplaced and the PH government is always committed to correcting the direction of the country to that of a new Malaysia,” Kit Siang said.

Kit Siang is all hot air and no substance

Many words from a man who boasts he has uttered 10 million words in his political career but empty words that reveal no clues as to what Pakatan Harapan is going to do to achieve these lofty plans and ideals. I mean, Kit Siang talks endlessly about what Pakatan should aim for but not a single word about how to achieve these aims. And that is basically the trademark of the windbag named Kit Siang: mere hot air with no substance.

And this is what Kit Siang’s bed-mate, P. Ramasamy, said today:

This new national charter, as a political platform for Umno and PAS, tells nothing about the concrete agenda of both the parties in ensuring balanced economic development for Malaysians, eradicating the scourge of poverty, eradication of corruption, abuse of power, ensuring transparency on the part of the government and the removal of laws that stand in the way of human rights. The Malay-Muslim unity is just a mere call for Malays to unite on the grounds of race and religion.

Yes, in essence Ramasamy accuses Umno and PAS of not having a vision and mission. We must assume that means DAP and Pakatan Harapan do have a vision and mission. If not, Tok Samy would not dare accuse Umno and PAS of not having a vision and mission if DAP and Pakatan Harapan also do not have a vision and mission. And DAP’s and Pakatan’s mission and vision is called “Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 Election Manifesto”.

The Malay-Muslim unity is just a mere call for Malays to unite on the grounds of race and religion, says Ramasamy of the LTTE

And that is why Kit Siang said, “All police and civil service personnel should familiarise themselves with the PH’s 14th general election manifesto to know the spirit, philosophy and direction of the PH government even though laws and policies have not yet been changed…so that they would not act in open opposition of the PH pledge for a New Malaysia.”

But then did Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad not say that Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 Election Manifesto is not a Bible? — meaning Pakatan Harapan need not really follow it strictly or to the letter.

So why present a very detailed GE14 Election Manifesto if you do not really need to follow it or never intended to keep your promises? Mahathir replied to this question by saying when Pakatan Harapan drafted that election manifesto they never thought they were going to win the election — meaning they would not need to deliver these promises since they are not the government.

The good news is: Pakatan Harapan won the election. The bad news is: now Pakatan Harapan needs to deliver their promises. The worse news is: Pakatan Harapan cannot deliver those promises because the promises were not realistic. And the worst news is: now the voters are not happy and feel they were cheated and lied to.

So, for Kit Siang to ask the police and civil service to “read and familiarise themselves with Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 Election Manifesto” and for Ramasamy to accuse Umno and PAS of not having a vision and mission is a huge mistake. What if Malaysians really do read and familiarise themselves with Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 Election Manifesto? Would that not backfire on them?

What happened to all those 100 days promises?

Tomorrow is 16th September, the anniversary of the creation of Malaysia when Sabah and Sarawak “joined up with Malaya to form Malaysia” or “were given to Malaysia by the British” (depending on whose version of history you are reading). And on every anniversary of the formation of Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak will bring up the issue of the Malaysia Agreement and what they were promised.

Pakatan Harapan specifically promised Sabah and Sarawak certain things in their GE14 Election Manifesto. But let us look at just one of those promises: 20% oil royalty for all the oil-producing states. And these oil-producing states are Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan.

But then these four oil-producing states — Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan — are not under Pakatan Harapan. So Pakatan is not going to give states that are basically not “owned” by Pakatan Harapan 20% oil royalty. If they could, they would even like to take back the 5% that the states are enjoying like what they did to Terengganu in 2000. So Pakatan has to break its promise of increasing the oil royalty for Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan from 5% to 20%.

Even more important is the fact that Malaysia’s revenue has fallen short because Pakatan has abolished the GST. After singing ABCDGST all over Malaysia, Pakatan Harapan had no choice but to abolish the GST. And this has created a huge hole in the pocket. So, to make up for this shortfall, the government has to steal the money from Petronas.

Hence the only way Pakatan Harapan can deliver its election promise of giving Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan 20% oil royalty would be to bring back the GST. As long as there is no GST then the oil royalty has to remain at 5%. In short, the poor people and Bumiputeras of Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan are paying for the removal of the 6% GST.