Azalina urges federal govt to focus on fulfiling manifestos, not state-level differences

 

Umno information chief Azalina Othman Said urged the federal government to focus on delivering results rather than allowing political differences at the state level to become a distraction.

She said this meant following through on election promises made by the parties and coalitions that now make up the federal administration.

“Discourse concerning the unity government at the federal level should focus on its ability to fulfil its commitments to the people.

“Accordingly, the unity government should continue implementing those commitments for the remainder of the 15th parliamentary term, as promised in the respective political blocs’ manifestos during GE15,” she said in a statement today.

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Azalina’s call comes amid growing pressure on Putrajaya, including from within the government and civil society, to use the remainder of the parliamentary term to deliver on election pledges.

Both BN and Pakatan Harapan pledged in their GE15 manifestos to strengthen parliamentary oversight of key appointments.

BN promised that nominees for the MACC chief commissioner, Bank Negara governor, and Election Commission chairperson would be vetted by a parliamentary select committee.

Harapan went further, proposing bipartisan parliamentary vetting of nominees for the public prosecutor’s office, senior MACC and EC positions, as well as the inspector-general of police.

Azalina also rejected suggestions that differences in state-level political cooperation necessarily constituted a breach of the unity government agreement.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) noted that Malaysia is a federation, and political arrangements at the state level need not mirror those at the federal level.

“Each state has its own mandate and political realities and, ultimately, voters at the state level also have their own aspirations and have the right to determine their representatives and government of choice through the state democratic process.

“Therefore, differences in strategy or political cooperation in a particular state election do not in themselves prove that the unity government agreement at the federal level has been breached,” she said.

‘Ensure govt remains stable’

Reaffirming Umno’s commitment to government stability, Azalina said differences at the federal level must be handled maturely to avoid undermining the administration or public confidence.

“Our priority must be to ensure that the federal government remains stable, the reform agenda is implemented, and the people’s well-being is always prioritised until the end of the term,” she added.

Her remarks come after BN chose to contest the Johor state election independently of Harapan before subsequently forming a pact with federal opposition Perikatan Nasional in Negeri Sembilan.

However, Azalina said allegations that Umno had “betrayed” PKR should not be assessed in isolation or solely based on political decisions at the state level.

She said the unity government agreement, signed after GE15, was intended to establish and maintain federal government stability throughout the current parliamentary term.

The agreement brought together parties with differing political identities and positions based on mutual respect, she added. - Mkini