PH showed we can govern better than BN, says Shamsul

 

PKR information chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the coalition had shown it could govern better than Barisan Nasional.

KRUBONG: A senior PKR leader believes criticism that Pakatan Harapan (PH) failed to deliver on its election manifesto promises will not sway voters in the coming Melaka state polls.

Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, the PKR information chief, said the PH-led Melaka government had fulfilled more than 60% of the promises made in its manifesto for the state despite not being able to complete its term in power.

Shamsul, who is contesting the Paya Rumput seat in the Nov 20 election, conceded that PH faced “challenges” in managing the economy in the aftermath of the general election in 2018 (GE14), but denied that the coalition failed.

Recently, former prime minister Najib Razak had pointed out that Melaka’s gross domestic product growth tumbled after GE14. He said in 2016 and 2017, the state’s GDP growth outpaced the national average at 5.5% and 8.3% respectively but this dropped to 3.8% (2018) and 2.9% (2019).

Shamsul said however that despite the challenges, the PH-led state government had been able to perform.

“But did we fail? We did not because we implemented welfare programmes, the state did not go bankrupt, we achieved savings in the state and this has surely created a perception that PH can administer the country better than Barisan Nasional (BN).

Shamsul, who is the Hang Tuah Jaya MP, said PH has learned its lesson from its 22 months in power and was seeking a strong mandate to finish what it started.

Bread and butter issues

Asked if the acceptance of two Umno defectors into PH would affect support for the coalition, Shamsul said voters have rarely raised this issue with him on the campaign trail.

“It’s still bread and butter issues, and the confidence to govern.”

In Paya Rumput, Shamsul plans to address the flooding problems through development and maintenance programmes, ensure better internet connectivity and improve infrastructure in the industrial area.

But his vision for the industrial area is to cut red tape and bring in investors to provide job opportunities for Paya Rumput’s youth.

“I think over a span of five years, our (PH’s) plans are reasonable and within reach. They’re not empty promises. People are tired of rhetoric, they want real work, and I plan to make sure that real work is done.”

He said PH hoped to win more than 15 of the 28 state assembly seats, to ensure a stable government and to avoid a situation where they would have to form a government with other parties.

“We think Melakans understand this. And we hope they will give us a clear mandate. That is why in our final lap (of campaigning) we are asking people to come out and vote.”

On talk that he was a potential candidate for the chief minister’s post should PH win and its state chief Adly Zahari fail to be elected, Shamsul said such polemic should be ignored.

“We have announced Adly as our CM candidate. Let us focus on winning the election, becoming the government and delivering on our action plan. This is to me, paramount.” - FMT