KLANG – With political manoeuvring and uncertainty appearing to be the order of the day of late, Charles Santiago has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to return its focus on its most important document to date – the Buku Harapan.
Acknowledging the politicking among elites in recent months, the DAP lawmaker said it is high time the coalition goes back to its pre-election manifesto of 2018 as it prepares itself for the next general election scheduled by mid-2023.
The Klang MP said the focus should chiefly be on employment, sustainable wages, and ensuring food and housing for all.
“The political elites just want to take over the government, but do not necessarily have a programme. So, what is the plan? This can actually be found in the Buku Harapan.
“Use the book as the basis of our struggle for the years ahead,” he told The Vibes after giving out aid to about 1,000 Klang residents as part of his food bank programme here today.
“Politics should be on the back-burner for now. We seem to be focusing too much on it at the moment.
“This is an elite struggle. One wants to take over, the other (doesn’t) want to be replaced. But this shouldn’t be about takeovers. It should be about recommitting for the people, for their benefit.”
He was asked in what situation and on what condition should PH consider cooperating with Umno-Barisan Nasional ahead of the elections, in light of recent speculation of the two political entities possibly working together.
On the PH leadership’s decision to take a “big tent” approach in roping in and uniting Malaysians from various layers of society regardless of political stance, Santiago said the idea is still vague and not clearly defined at this point.
In a statement yesterday, the coalition had reiterated its readiness to negotiate with any party based on the principle of reformation and well-being of the people.
This comes just a day after the leadership announced that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will lead the coalition into the upcoming 15th general election and that the PKR president would be the prime minister should PH regain federal power.
Asked if this (openness to negotiations) is an indication of a possible cooperation with Umno, Santiago said PH’s relationship with the largest Malay party is still unclear at the moment.
However, Santiago said if Umno’s lack of focus on people’s issues during its recent general assembly is to be of any indication, then it would be in PH’s best interest not to form a partnership with the party.
“The president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) in particular made no mention of the rakyat’s problems. He seemed more engrossed in their own politics. I think we need to move out of that.
“But if the big tent actually means focusing on the people, then we should all welcome and support it,” he said. – The Vibes, April 11, 2021
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