Bersatu leader agrees with PM, Harapan manifesto 'a guideline'

A Bersatu leader involved in the drafting of Pakatan Harapan’s 14th general election manifesto agrees with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement that the document should be taken as a “guideline” for the new administration.

Party strategic and policy bureau deputy director Wan Saiful Wan Jan (above), however, stressed this was not an excuse for Harapan to go against any of the promises made in the manifesto.

“I strongly agree with the view (by Mahathir). The manifesto is a general guideline on where we (the government) is taking the country to.

“But with the existing restrictions, I personally think (some of) these matters (promises) will be difficult (to fulfil) because we had no (prior) information on what could be done and what could not be done,” said Wan Saiful.

He was speaking this morning as a panellist during a seminar organised by Universiti Malaya's Centre for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel) on Harapan’s election manifesto.

His response came after an audience member asked for his view on Mahathir’s remark that the Harapan manifesto was “not a bible” but rather should serve as a general guideline.

Given their discovery of potential restrictions after forming the new government, Wan Saiful reassured that Harapan would make all efforts towards eventually fulfilling all the promises made.

“What was said by Tun (Mahathir) was that it is important for us to instil an understanding among the people that this document will serve as our guideline.

“What can be implemented we will implement, the ones that are challenging to implement, we must put in more effort […],” he said.

'Various challenges'

At the same time, he said the government will also have to concede that there were promises made which cannot be fulfilled.

“For the promises that cannot be fulfilled, we have to admit it. This is the reality,” he said.

Met by reporters later, Wan Saiful reiterated that Harapan would continue working towards fulfilling its election pledges.

“As much as possible we must fulfil all promises, (we must) work (towards it). But don’t make perfection as the enemy of the good,” he said.

“To be able to reach 100 percent is certainly a target but we are faced with various challenges.

“The most important thing is that we have the commitment to implement our promises and we are seeing that now,” said Wan Saiful who is also the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) chairperson. - Mkini