No choice but to keep our promises, DAP MP tells PH

Ong Kian Ming says Malaysians should remind the ruling coalition of its manifesto.

Ong Kian Ming says Malaysians can punish the PH coalition if it fails to fulfil its pledges.

KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP leader disagrees with those who have suggested that Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) manifesto is not cast in stone, saying it is only proper that Malaysians hold the coalition to its promises.

Ong Kian Ming, the Bangi MP who was part of the team who worked on the PH manifesto, said although the document was not legally binding, it was politically important in ensuring the success of the reforms agenda.

“Please continue to remind us of our manifesto promises. If we can’t fullfil them, put it as a black mark in five years’ time,” Ong, the assistant head of DAP’s Political Education bureau, told a forum on the theme of institutional reforms after 100 days of PH taking control of the federal government.

Earlier in the forum, Attorney-General Tommy Thomas said that the manifesto had been “elevated” to a “holy book”, saying it was a massive challenge for the government to undertake reforms after 60 years of Barisan Nasional rule.

Shahril Hamdan.

“The manifesto is a political manifesto and has no legal significance,” Thomas said, and questioned the “obsession” over the manifesto.

“In five years’ time, you decide if they deserve your vote, now it’s far too early,” he said.

Another speaker at the forum, Umno Youth vice-chief Shahril Hamdan, said while he agreed reforms would take time, it was important that PH was held to its promises.

“Yes, they have a five-year mandate and some reforms will take time but we have to be careful about giving the government too much.” -FMT