MELAKA: Pakatan Harapan manifesto for the Melaka polls largely repeats the current state government’s existing development plans, raising questions about whether the coalition has anything new to offer voters, a Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) leader said.
Lee Chean Chung said several proposals outlined in PH’s “Melaka Rumah Kita” manifesto appeared to mirror targets already set by the state government.
He cited PH’s pledge to attract 25 million tourists to Melaka by 2032, noting that the existing Melaka Tourism Master Plan had already set a similar target of 25 million tourists and visitors by 2035.
“What new policies is PH proposing to achieve this target three years earlier?” he said at the party’s press conference at Ruang Bersama Melaka in Batu Berendam.
Lee also questioned PH’s ambition to transform Melaka into a smart state, pointing out that the state government already had its Melaka Smart Blueprint 2035, which comprises 20 strategies and 78 action plans.
“What reforms is PH actually offering compared with the existing plans? Is PH merely repeating the targets already set by the current state government?”
He described PH’s manifesto, launched yesterday, as a wish list that lacked clear implementation plans, funding mechanisms and measurable outcomes.
Lee also criticised PH’s proposal to tackle traffic congestion through artificial intelligence (AI), saying the coalition had yet to explain how the technology would be implemented.
He said PH had not clarified whether the proposal involved expanding public transport, upgrading roads or introducing a new traffic management system.
Questions also remained over which areas would be prioritised and how much the initiative would cost.
“Simply mentioning AI technology is not the same as having an effective transport plan.
“As a political coalition that has previously governed Melaka, PH should be able to present more detailed and convincing policies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bersama policy spokesman Sum Dek Joe questioned the financial feasibility of PH’s election promises, citing the state’s limited fiscal capacity.
He said the 2026 Melaka Budget projected revenue of RM528.9 million against operating expenditure of RM528.8 million, excluding another RM93 million in development expenditure.
This meant nearly all the state’s projected revenue had already been committed to operating expenses.
Despite this, he said PH had pledged improvements to public transport, affordable housing, additional childcare centres and special grants for women entrepreneurs without specifying their estimated costs or funding sources.
He said PH, as part of the federal government, should also explain how it intended to secure additional federal allocations for Melaka.