From Malaysiakini
The battle for Putrajaya has been raised a notched with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition today unveiling its common policy platform, containing promises of sweeping reforms and equality.
In a direct response to its race-based rival Barisan Nasional, Pakatan’s common policy promises to reduce race-based policies and enacting a Race Relations Act.
It further pledges to practice needs-based affirmative action, enact a Equal Opportunity Act and other merit-based policies, such as in the case of government scholarships.
Special reference to the state of Sabah and Sarawak – where Pakatan has little influence – promises greater access to oil royalties and resolving long-standing problems faced by natives.
Further promises include a royal commission to resolve the outstanding issue of illegal immigrants, which have been largely ignored by the federal government.
Reaching out to the two East Malaysian states is crucial to Pakatan’s bid to wrest federal power from the BN as two states command about a quarter of the total number of parliamentary seats.
Also addressed is the thorny issue of religion which had in the past caused schisms between the Islamic-conservative PAS and the secular DAP.
Most prominently, the coalition pledges to establish a “comprehensive mechanism” to resolve cases where there is an overlap of civil and syariah law.
A royal commission has also been pledged to “deeply study” issues related to this.
Decentralising state economy
At the institutional level, Pakatan pledged to ensure full independence and transparency of the Judicial Appointment Commission to restore public confidence in the judicial system.
Other reforms proposed include making the Election Commission, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Petronas and other major government institutions directly accountable to Parliament.
This would include having Parliament as the approval body for the appointment of important government posts such as the inspector general of police, attorney-general, MACC commissioner and auditor-general.
On the economy, Pakatan aims to decentralise state economic management which the policy document said will boost efficiency, productivity and balanced geographical development.
This proposal involves distributing economic and administrative power and the implementation of infrastructure work to the state government.
The one-day maiden Pakatan convention, held at the Shah Alam City Council auditorium, was attended top opposition leaders.
They are joined by 1,500 delegates – 500 from each component party – of whom 15 are to debate the common policy paper today.
The crowd, which comprised all races, turned the auditorium into a riot of colours with their green, red and blue party uniforms.
Salient points in common platform
Below are excerpts of other key areas of the policy statement:
Healthcare – Establishing a National Heath Commission to improve public healthcare.
Women - Ensuring 30 percent representation at the government’s decision-making level.
Police – Establishing the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission.
Culture – Liberalising restriction on performances by artistes.
Language – Promoting Bahasa Malaysia as the regional lingua franca but protecting mother tongue languages.
Labour – Minimum wage policy.
Social security – Establishing a National Retrenchment Fund.
Elections – Redelineation of electoral boundaries to fulfil concept of ‘one person, one vote’.
Public transport – Study the possibility of buying back North-South Highway and renegotiating highway concessions to reduce toll prices.
Media – Amending the Printing Presses and Publishing Act and enact a Freedom of Inforamtion Act to ensure media freedom.
Bagus la macam tu…kalau betul2 Buat…Hidup…??? To The people In Power !
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It is only logical that Malaysia should have an alternative force to counter check the wrong doing of Barisan National or UMNO as a matter of fact. It had been long overdue. The whole world is watching very closely what UMNO is up to at this moment!
Eastern Malaysia like Singapore which joined or formed Malaysia in 1963 with conditional agreements. And local Malays were/are in fact the minority in Eastern Malaysia as a matter of fact. It is timing for the Malaysians Malaysia regardless social backgrounds.
For ALL Sabahans & Sarawakians of Eastern Malaysia, please do wake up with alertness & dare to come forward & stand out upright & speak up loud & clear & fight for your basic right. People are the power & masters of a nation! I hope Pakatan Rakyat Coalition (PR) will work out a “give & take” plan & reform Malaysia Politics once in for all. Eastern Malaysia is not going to be bullied once again like what UMNO once sidelined/mistreated the local party & little brother USNO.
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Kepada En. David8649, tak kisahlah orang sabahkah, sarawakah, semenanjungkah, semua orang Malaysia. Kalau anda menuduh salahlaku yang dibuat oleh pemimpin Barisan Nasional sejak zaman Perikatan, anda memang tak tahu bersyukur. Sabah dan Sarawak menjadi lebih makmur selepas menyertai Malaysia kerana dasar kerajaan Barisan Nasionl/Perikatan yang mentadbir secara berhemah di mana setiap negeri gabungan dalam Malaysia diberikan peruntukkan dan pembangunan yang pesat. Anda lihatlah sendiri di negera jiran kita di mana kawasan-kawasan pedalaman masih ketinggalan berbanding sesetengah tempat di sana, malah ketinggalan mereka lebih jauh bertangga-tangga berbanding apa yang dinikmati di Sabah dan Sarawak serta negeri-negeri di Semenanjung. Tak payahlah anda nak bermain dengan semangat kedaerahan dan kenegerian di sini, tak akan ada faedahnya, ia hanya akan menjejaskan pembangunan di seluruh negara termasuk di Sabah dan Sarawak. Apa guna kalau sekadar berdemontrasi bercakap maki hamun di sana sini tetapi tiada agenda yang jelas, selama 52 tahun negeri-negeri di Semenanjung dan 46 tahun Sabah dan Sarawak berada dalam Malaysia, berbagai kemajuan telah dikembangkan hasil dari kerja keras dan kepimpinan berhemah oleh kerajaan Perikatan dan kemudiaanya Barisan Nasional. Jangan bertindak melulu ia boleh mendatangkan rasa tidak senang hati sesetengah pihak yang kecil hati bila kita bersikap kedaerahan dan perkauman. Anda ada menyebutkan tentang Singapura yang membentuk Malaysia bersama-sama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, Sabah dan Sarawak pada tahun 1963, tetapi tahukah anda apa yang menyebabkan Singapura ditendang keluar dari Persekutuan Malaysia? Ini kerana pihak-pihak di Singapura terutama PAP (People Action Party) selalu memainkan isu perkauman hingga mencetuskan rusuhan kaum di Singapura pada tahun 1964. Perdana Menteri Malaysia ketika itu, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj berpendapat bahawa pengekalan Singapura dalam Malaysia adalah sesuatu yang membahayakan kedudukan Persekutuan Malaysia itu sendiri jika sikap perkauman yang diamalkan oleh pihak-pihak berkepentingan politik di sana mempengaruhi negeri-negeri gabungan lain hingga boleh menyebabkan Persekutuan Malaysia terbubar dan menjadi negara-negara kecil yang lebih terdedah kepada negara-negara besar di sekeliling Persekutuan Malaysia. Ini kerana pada masa yang sama Filipina membuat tuntutan terhadap Sabah dan Indonesia mahu mengambil alih seluruh Borneo termasuk Brunie, Sabah dan Sarawak dengan konsep Ganyang Malaysia oleh pihak pro-komunis di sana sehinggalah perdamaian atas sikap bertolak ansur dan bertoleransi antara Presiden Suharto dan kepimpinan Malaysia meredakan keadaan dan Indonesia tidak lagi membuat tuntutan terhadap Sabah, Sarawak dan Brunei, malah menyokong dan menjadi sahabat baik Malaysia terutama sekali di era Tun Mahathir dan Suharto yang bukan sekadar mempunyai hubungan berasaskan politik tetapi hubungan peribadi berasaskan setiakawan. Terpulanglah anda nak berfikiran macam mana pun, anda perlu melihat apa yang terjadi di Selangor, Kelantan, Pulau Pinang dan Kedah di Semenanjung. Negeri-negeri itu dikuasai oleh Pakatan Rakyat, tapi apa yang Pakatan Rakyat buat di sana? Projek pembangunan, peluang perniagaan, peluang pekerjaan, pendidikan prasarana, kebanyakannya disediakan atas inisiatif Barisan Nasional, tetapi Pakatan Rakyat bukan nak berterima kasih dan bersyukur tetapi memaki hamun, mencerca, mencaci, memfitnah dan berdemontrasi di sana sini hingga mencetuskan huru hara di Kuala Lumpur, dan macam macam lagi. Kalau sekadar nak berjanji itu dan ini, siapa pun boleh, tapi kita kena lihat keupayaan dan kebolehan melaksanakannya, ini tidak asyik cari kelemahan orang, mengkritik tak tentu pasal, tapi apa satu penyelesaian pun tak ada, buat apa kalau begini? Kalau begini budak tadika pun boleh buat, kalau sekadar kritik itu dan ini, salahkan itu dan ini, janjikan itu dan ini, siapa pun boleh buat. Orang yang banyak bekerja dan kurang mencari salah orang seperti yang diamalkan oleh kepimpinan Barisan Nasional adalah baik kerana hal-hal tepi jalan dan tak berfaedah tidak diperbesar-besarkan hingga boleh menimbulkan masalah, kerana yang lebih penting ialah pembangunan terhadap rakyat samada dari segi ekonomi, sosial, pendidikan, alam sekitar, budaya dan lain-lain yang lebih penting. Sekian, terima kasih.
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