BERSATU strategy director Rais Hussin has challenged Barisan Nasional (BN) to a debate over whether the ruling coalition’s or Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) manifesto is better.

Rais said he and the other members of PH’s manifesto drafting committee were willing to answer all claims against its Buku Harapan manifesto, which was launched last week.

Since the launch, BN leaders and government-controlled media have swiftly denounced the manifesto as impractical and unrealistic.

“After BN Umno releases their manifesto, we want to hold a debate with the writer of their manifesto – if they dare to take on the challenge,” Rais said in a press conference at Bersatu’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya today.

PH’s manifesto has been severely criticised, especially on its promise to abolish the goods and services tax (GST) and to grant petrol subsidies.

Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid also criticised another pledge to delay repayments of loans from the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN).

Rais said the PH manifesto this time was the most comprehensive manifesto ever written, crafted by all of PH’s component parties in a process that took 16 months to gather feedback from various stakeholders.

“We believe in participatory democracy, not hearings once every five years. We listen every day, month, and year. All our research and meetings with relevant parties and groups make our manifesto comprehensive.

“In 2008, the opposition manifesto captured five states. In 2013, we captured 52% of the popular vote with the opposition manifesto.

“What will happen next? With the ‘swing’ in votes of 8%, we will be the ruling government,” he said.

Rais’ deputy, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, said Umno and BN only dared to criticise the PH manifesto because they lacked ideas.

“We have 60 promises in the manifesto, and in addition, we have 100 things that we want to do. They (BN) only touched about 1% of it.

“Don’t be influenced by BN’s narrow narrative. We will not be able to move forward if we are all still trapped by this narrative,” he said.

Other than abolishing GST and petrol subsidies, PH’s ten main promises include resolving Felda settlers’ debt and the Employees Provident Fund contributions for housewives, standardising the minimum wage, investigating scandals, returning eroded rights to Sabah and Sarawak, and a review of mega projects. – March 12, 2018.