Pakatan's reform agenda 'putting fear in Umno-BN'

BY FMT Staff

KUCHING: Sarawak PKR Youth has described the recent volley of rebuts by Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, including from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhiddin Yassin, over Pakatan Rakyat's 100-day structural reform agenda as words "of cowards”.

"Najib, Muhyiddin and their 'Ketuanan Melayu' leadership is scrambling now. They are frightened because they think their BN-ruled government collapsing.

"It's strange that they are upset and afraid with the Pakatan reform plan because Umno-BN is always saying it is so confident of the people's support of its leadership," Sarawak PKR Youth chief Ahmad Nazib Johari told FMT recently.

Nazib said that Umno-BN's attacks on the 100-day reform agenda was proof that the opposition coalition was challenging the integrity and credibility of the BN.

"The reforms are practical and workable. The Umno-BN leaders know this and that is what is scaring the BN leadership. They are cowards..." he said.

The agenda, launched at the Pakatan convention in Kepala Batas on Dec 19, includes proposed changes to the Election Commission, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Attorney- General's Chambers and the police.

PKR confident

Pakatan will also abolish tolls by directing the state's investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Employees Providence Fund and others to take over highway assets.

The opposition's reform agenda also incorporates plans to restructure the subsidy system by slashing subsidies to the private sector and use the money to help the poor.

Pakatan has also zeroed in on the country's independent power producers who enjoy RM19 billion worth of “corporate welfare" support from the ruling government.

The opposition aims to slash this support as opposed to the BN-led government move to cut consumer subisdies on fuel and sugar. Both prices have hit a record high. White sugar has increased by 55% this year.

Other reform measures proposed by Pakatan include increasing oil royalties to producing states to 20% from the current 5%, abolishing and opening up the Federal Land Reserve Authority (Felda) plantations programme, and continuing its free water programme and free WiFi service in all urban and semi-urban areas.

"Bearing the Pakatan reforms in mind, we are urging the people to throw their support behind Pakatan in the Sarawak and national elections because Pakatan is the only hope left for the country.

"In Sarawak we are confident of making an impact in the state polls.

"We will give Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu candidates a good contest. We are confident of wresting some seats from them, " said Nazib, a well-known syariah lawyer here.