AYER KEROH: Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional leaders are confident that their joint manifesto for the Melaka election is realistic, achievable and focused on the people’s needs.
PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the manifesto had been carefully drawn up by strategists from both coalitions to ensure its pledges could be fulfilled.
He said PN had appointed four to five strategists to work with their BN counterparts on drafting the manifesto.
“We see this as a targeted manifesto, and we are confident that its pledges are achievable.
“Based on the previous Melaka government’s track record, 97 per cent of its earlier manifesto pledges have been fulfilled.
“With the cooperation between BN and PN, we believe our ability to deliver on these commitments will improve further,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the BN-PN manifesto launch at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) here today.
Takiyuddin said the manifesto covered key areas, including the cost of living, education, housing and other basic needs.
He said its pledges were intended to benefit Melaka’s 1.06 million residents across all age groups.
“It covers everyone, from newborns to senior citizens. I believe no major aspect has been overlooked.
“We hope the government will be able to fulfil all the promises outlined in this manifesto,” he said.
MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said the manifesto contained practical initiatives that ordinary Malaysians could understand and benefit from.
He said measures such as assistance for communities and newly married couples, as well as efforts to reduce the prices of essential goods, addressed pressing concerns among the people.
“Rather than coming up with big, bombastic figures or grand promises, what matters is whether these pledges can be translated into actual assistance and initiatives that benefit the people.
“We cannot simply distribute money to the people without a proper economic foundation.
“There must be ways to attract investments, generate income and create jobs, including the 20,000 new employment opportunities promised for Melaka,” he said.
Wee said the manifesto also outlined plans to strengthen Melaka’s economy, including positioning the state as a data centre hub and accelerating economic growth.
He described the proposals as evidence of careful planning by both coalitions.
“I believe this is a well-thought-out plan, particularly in terms of how economic development can support the assistance and initiatives promised to the people,” he said.