MALAYSIANS need to mandate Pakatan Harapan (PH) so that it can carry out the promises outlined in its election manifesto, said vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin.

“To carry out the manifesto promises, PH needs a mandate from Malaysians during the 14th general election.

“And going 10 years ahead there will be no kleptocrat to rule this country and Malaysians will no longer groan under the weight of a higher cost of living,” said the Bersatu president during the launch of the coalition’s first manifesto in Shah Alam tonight.

The former deputy prime minister said PH’s manifesto is a historical document that records the transition of Malaysia from a kleptocratic nation to a democratic country.

“The appointment of MACC commissioners, police chief, attorney-general and Chief Justice will be done through committees.

“Another promise we will carry out is to re-investigate 1MDB and put the people responsible behind bars. After that we will try to get all the money back and return it to Malaysians.

Another aspect of the manifesto is to uplift Indians, Orang Asal, and bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak.

Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali said Selangor and Penang’s success has demonstrated that the opposition can administer better than BN.

“Selangor is a cosmopolitan state that is multiracial and multireligious. It is a microcosm of Malaysia.

“Through a transparent and open tender system Selangor has managed to save RM615 million between 2014-2018. As a result of its good governance, Selangor is also a target destination for investors,” said the PH vice-president.

Without corruption, Azmin said Selangor was able to reduce its operating budget for three straight years (2016-2018).

“From 50% in 2016, we have steadily reduced the operating budget to 47.8% (2017) and 46.8%. The additional savings is then diverted to developing the state,” he added.

Selangor’s 2016 Budget was RM2.88 billion, RM3.45 billion in 2017 and RM3.12 billion in 2018.

He said more than 1.25 million Selangor citizens (as at February 2018) had benefited from its Skim Peduli Sihat that allows citizens who qualify a RM700 budget for medical expenses a year.

He said the B40 and M40 heart patients can also benefit from the Skim Rawatan Jantung Selangor that was given a RM10 million budget this year.

“Under PH there are now more than 100 free busses plying more than 40 routes in Selangor,” said the PKR deputy president.

He said that with its achievements, PH is confident of retaining Selangor.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state’s success is also attributed to the absence of corruption.

Lim said he was initially shocked when he learnt that they had won in Penang 10 years ago and wondered if they could do the job without any experience.

“But 10 years on, PH has shown that it can do the job as the only experience it lacks is in taking bribes,” said Lim.

Some of the success stories Lim cited were Penang’s ability to reduce its debts from the federal government.

“We have the lowest debt at just RM64 million compared to other BN states such as Sarawak (RM2.5 billion) and Kedah (RM2.4 billion),” said the DAP secretary-general. – March 8, 2018.