INTERNAL pressures have contributed to Pakatan Harapan’s inability to swiftly enact key reforms promised in its election manifesto, revealed Dr Ong Kian Ming.

The deputy international trade and industry minister, at a Kuala Lumpur forum today, was responding to criticism that the PH administration lacked the political will to see through reforms in its first year.

These included the repeal of oppressive laws, such as the Official Secrets Act and Sedition Act, and amending the Security Ordinance (Special Measures) Act, said Ong.

PH has also been criticised for backtracking on global human rights treaties, namely the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ong said a pushback from “larger political forces” had pressured PH to hold off on ratifying ICERD and the Rome Statute, which would see Malaysia acceding to ICC.

At the same time, he said, internal pressures “from elements in the Home Ministry and Immigration Department” had forced Putrajaya to shelve plans to legalise some 150,000 refugees in the country, which would allow them to secure employment and healthcare.

Ong said the government had to prioritise the policies that could be accepted by the wider public and still remain committed to pursuing its reform agenda.

He was speaking at a forum titled The Next Four Years: What Now for Malaysia? organised by the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). 

IDEAS today revealed the second edition of its tracking study on the PH government’s fulfilment of its election manifesto.

The think-tank’s director of research Laurence Todd questioned the lack of political will in Putrajaya’s pursuit of critical political reforms. 

These include repealing the above repressive laws and making the operations of government-linked companies more transparent and accountable. 

“These are reforms and policies that are achievable and require little budgetary allocations, so we question why they are not being done by the government,” said Todd. – June 28, 2019.