MUDA will work for the middle class and not rely on handouts to woo support, the youth-based party said in its Johor elections manifesto.

It has declared itself Pakatan Harapan-friendly and is contesting in seven seats, six of which were  DAP and Amanah’s, but it will clash with PKR in Larkin.

On Monday, Muda launched its manifesto promising to provide energetic and swift leadership; practise a people-oriented democracy; protect the middle class (M40); narrow the class divide; and
develop the economy for all.

“Muda will champion these be it in government or in the opposition. This is the Muda pledge,” read the manifesto.

The party said it would serve all Malaysians irrespective of race, religion and political affiliation.

Muda has been a visible presence to the community in times of need, helping more than 2,000 households stricken by severe floods in Selangor, Johor and Pahang.

In the weeks after the deluges, it mobilised 15,000 volunteers and raised RM3.2 million for flood aid and relief efforts. The funds were audited for accountability.

The party also provided 1,650 laptops and tablets to needy students, schools and kindergartens in Johor.

To fulfil its manifesto, Muda said it would establish a people’s council to discuss policies that affected the people

“Is it truly democratic when a certain elected representative gets to determine policies and principles for five years?”

“Why not obtain views and listen to the voice of the electorate for important decisions in the state legislative assembly.

“The era of elected representatives who know best is over. The people are wiser,” it added.

Muda is led by former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. He was the youngest minister ever to be appointed to the cabinet.

Prior to co-founding Muda, Syed Saddiq was the Bersatu youth chief. He left the party following the collapse of PH in early 2020.

Closing the wealth gap

On its pledge to empower the M40, Muda said it would widen free public transport coverage and offer more support to young families.

It also aims to raise the supply of affordable homes.

The party pledged to improve the quality of state healthcare and improve safety of the community.

A priority of Muda is to close the gap between the rich and the poor in Johor.

On its “Narrow the Class Divide” pledge, Muda looking at providing education for all and to minimise the digital gap among youth in the state.

“The 1 family, 1 laptop programme will be expanded to all low income households and to continue expanding Johor Wifi 2.0 across the state with the cooperation of the federal government.

“Muda will also provide free tuition classes for B40 families and to improve the “Programme Didik Johor”.

In an effort to lift the income of M40, Muda said it would reduce the red tape and cost of running businesses.

In its final pledge, to empower the economy of Johor, Muda pledged to make food security the major economic agenda for rural Johor especially in Felda settlements.

It said it would provide job opportunities and create an employment guarantee scheme.

Muda said it would introduce a scheme where state owned idle land can be leased to the youths of Johor, especially younger generation of Felda settlers for the purpose of agriculture, farming and fishing.

Different from the big players

In its election pledges, Muda did not touch on delineation exercises and equal constituency funds for all assemblymen unlike Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional.

Both PH and BN promised in their Johor election manifestos to undertake a delineation exercise and give equal constituency funds to all assemblymen if they win the state.

And like the BN manifesto, which was launched on March 1, PH also promised to enact an anti-party hopping law in the state and work towards increasing the number of border crossings between Johor and Singapore.

But different from BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN), which launched its manifesto on Wednesday, PH did not include cash handouts for children from lower income families.

PH, however, promises to give tuition vouchers for students whose studies have been disrupted by the epidemic and lockdowns.

BN promised RM500 for each graduate from B40 households and RM1,000 as a marriage incentive while PN pledged to give free water to the lower income households and exempt small businesses from local council licensing fees. – March 9, 2022.