KUCHING, March 10: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg dismissed Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) manifesto to return Sarawak’s rights as an “old story” which has been recycled.
Speaking to reporters after launching the Sarawak Career and Training (SCaT) Fair 2018 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) this morning, he said the manifesto was merely just election promises to garner support and votes.
“It is an old story. He (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) has been the prime minister for 22 years. Why now?” Abang Johari questioned.
The PH manifesto for the upcoming general election titled “10 promises in 100 days, to build the nation and fulfill hope” was aimed at creating a better Malaysia in terms of the economy, race relations, strengthening of government institutions, foreign affairs and good governance, among others, said PH chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah during the launch in Shah Alam yesterday.
The 10 promises that PH would implement within the first 100 days were: scrap the goods and services tax (GST), have targeted petrol subsidies, eliminate Felda settlers’ debts, enable housewives to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), streamline minimum wages, return the status of Sabah and Sarawak according to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), suspend PTPTN higher education fund repayments for those earning below RM4,000, have a “healthcare” scheme for all, open investigations into scandals, and review mega projects.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said Sarawak’s rights under the leadership of its current state government has slowly been restored in accordance with the Constitution, thanks to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Therefore what was promised in PH’s manifesto was redundant with most points having no benefit nor was of any interest to the state.
“Najib has returned our rights. One of it was what I announced before — our oil and gas rights. That was the product of our (state government) negotiation with Najib all this while.
“What the PH manifesto is promising is just ‘recycled’. The general election is near so they will promise many things,” said Abang Johari. — DayakDaily
