PAKATAN Harapan’s manifesto lacks clarity and clear mechanisms on how the opposition plans to achieve its 100-day targets, said a think tank under the National Council of Professors (MPN).

MPNPoll chairman Shamsul Amri Baharuddin said the PH manifesto Buku Harapan, which was released on Thursday, is too simplistic.

“They want to implement all these promises, but how are they going to achieve them within the first 100 days?

“Our main question is, how far can the 10 promises be achieved?”

He said proposed changes to the system will have to go through various processes before they can be implemented, and some have to get Parliament’s approval.

Within the first 100 days of taking office, PH aims to fulfil 10 pledges.

Among them are to abolish the goods and services tax, take steps to reduce the cost of living, and reduce the burden on those who had taken National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans.

PH aims to postpone PTPTN loan repayments for those earning below RM4,000 and remove the existing blacklist.

Shamsul said the pact’s goal to abolish GST and PTPTN loans is unrealistic.

“We don’t think it is right to abolish GST. Before this, they wanted to abolish GST, and now, they are backtracking and want to reintroduce the sales and services tax.

“We find that this is unrealistic, and if they don’t collect enough funds from SST, how is the government going to function?

“In the first 100 days, without GST, the (PH) government can’t roll. Where are the funds going to come from?”

Similarly, for PTPTN, said Shamsul, the pool of money for the loans will eventually be reduced if defaulters are not made to repay their debts.

“How is (PTPTN) going to give out loans to other students?”

He said in an attempt to reach out to the public, PH has become too simplistic in its manifesto, adding that it was drafted to appeal to the masses, and not necessarily with the development of the country in mind.

“To make the people understand the manifesto, they have simplified it. There must be more details as to how they are going to keep their promises.

“Our overall reaction is that, it concentrates too much on individual issues instead of national issues, such as cohesion, unity and religion, which are all not addressed in the manifesto.” – March 10, 2018.