PAKATAN Harapan (PH) must hold fast to its election manifesto as a “compass” for nation building and step up implementation of its promises next year, said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

The ruling coalition must also be honest with the people if it is unable to fulfil any of its promises, said Lim, who is also Iskandar Puteri MP.

He acknowledged the high hopes the public had after PH replaced the federal government was now giving way to “disappointment and even disillusionment with the slow pace of change”.

“There is a perception that the PH government has relapsed to the sins and crimes of unaccountability, abuses of power and corruption of the previous administration.

“PH parties must guard against any such relapses, and take firm remedial action to ensure the sins and crimes of the past… do not occur.

“Buku Harapan must be the compass to reset nation-building policies to return to the founding principles of the federal constitution to ensure unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity in Malaysia,” Lim said in a statement that was also his speech at Kinrara DAP in Selangor over dinner last night.

Lim said PH must “be frank with the people” and have enough confidence in the mandate voters have given the coalition to “admit if we had made impossible promises”.

“It is vital and important that PH parties must be able to convince our members and core supporters that the trajectory towards a New Malaysia is on track, and that the election manifesto remains our lodestar and guiding principle.

“We must be mindful of increasing public impatience at the pace of change to keep in line with the promises in Buku Harapan.”

Lim said recent decisions by the executive and judiciary are evidence that PH is on track with its reforms.

These include the constitutional amendment bill on the two-term limit of the prime minister that was recently tabled in Parliament.

Lim said other evidence are the two decisions by the attorney-general not to appeal against the acquittal of PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli for breaching banking regulations in an act of whistleblowing, as well as the decision to allow bail for detainees under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act. – December 14, 2019.