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PETALING JAYA – The Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto for the 15th general election (GE15) is a “bible” (kitab suci) to which the coalition should be held accountable, said coalition youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii.
Describing the manifesto as “a promise to the rakyat”, he emphasised that under the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the coalition will take into account and endeavour to fulfil every single promise made.
“Our manifesto is a bible, I would like to stress, we need a new breath in politics, not just rhetoric and empty promises,” the PH candidate for Bandar Kuching told reporters at a coalition youth event here today.
Dr Yii said the spirit of PH, as emphasised by coalition chairman Anwar Ibrahim, is transparency and accountability, especially in terms of fulfilling its election manifesto.
This statement appears to take a swipe at former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who in 2018 was quoted as saying: “Please remember, the manifesto is not a bible, it’s a guide.”
The now infamous statement came following PH’s victory in the 2018 general election, when former appellate judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof was appointed speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.
The move drew brickbats as PH had in its GE14 manifesto promised that the speaker would come from the coalition’s MPs.
According to Dr Yii, Dr Mahathir’s 2018 statement was his personal opinion and not one shared by the coalition or its leaders.
Meanwhile, PH Youth today also launched a preview of the coalition’s GE15 manifesto, focusing on promises made to the nation’s youth.
Dubbed the Five Harapan Youth Offers Launch, the event was attended by Dr Yii, as well as PKR and Amanah Youth chiefs Adam Adli and Hasbie Muda, respectively.
The first of the five “offers” is the abolishment of the University and University Colleges Act 1971, which aims to empower and provide greater independence to institutions of higher education.
The second “offer” is a Student Traveller programme which will set airfares at RM199 for students travelling between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak. The special fares will be limited to two tickets per year per student.
Besides this, PH Youth also proposes housing schemes that place an emphasis on making the purchase and/or rental of houses affordable for the youth.
The fourth “offer” is the enactment of a Climate Change Bill whereas the final “offer” involves the promotion of entrepreneurship among the youth. – The Vibes, October 30, 2022
