Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 9): Former International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz warned the Pakatan Harapan Government that it could lose power if it could not make important decisions due to it being shackled to its election manifesto.

"Never let your manifesto that you craft to win an election, shackle you moving forward. You may end up as a one-term government," Rafidah, who is chairman of AirAsia X Bhd, said during a panel session on "Forging Malaysia" at the "Malaysia: A New Dawn" conference today.

"Manifesto won you the (14th general) election, but you must remember that the environment around us is so fluid. So how can you cling on to your manifesto that was relevant maybe three months ago?

“Tomorrow something might develop in the global financial scene that requires a revamp on how you see the economic development strategies in Malayisa," she added.

She also lashed out at PH leaders for having to backtrack on what she said were good decisions due to their manifesto.

She cited the initial plan to have Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to also take on the education portfolio. However, the premier relented after it was opposed by other PH leaders.

“Due to the manifesto, Dr Mahathir could not become the Education Minister. I was (actually) happy with the ideas that he had, but two days later the announcement was made [that the PM cannot hold another position],” she said.

Rafidah said the PH Government should not be caught up in fulfilling its manifesto but instead keep its options open dealing with constantly changing challenges.

The Government should focus on beyond general election and beyond generation as it needs to have a future-proof plans,” she added.

“The rakyat understands that a manifesto is just that — it is not a document or a strategy that would take you beyond every five years of the elections," she said.

"Pakatan should be a future-proof government (and) not a government to prove its manifesto.

"The people had rejected a politic-centric government. They want a people-centric government," she added.

She also said PH supporters should not expect all promises in the manifesto to be implemented fully by the end of its five-year term.

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