This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on October 10, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: 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” investors’ conference yesterday.

“Manifesto won you the (14th general) election, but you must remember that the environment around us is so fluid. So how can you cling onto 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 Malaysia,” she added.

She also lashed out at Pakatan 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 Pakatan 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 Pakatan 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 the general election and beyond generation as it needs to have future-proof plans,” she said.

“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 proof its manifesto.

“The people had rejected a politic-centric government. They want a people-centric government,” she said.

She also said Pakatan supporters should not expect all promises in the manifesto to be implemented fully by the end of its five-year term.Rafidah also suggested that the government facilitate the private sector in order to make them as partners.

“The private sector should never be allowed to be suppressed [by the government],” she said, adding that the government should not abuse and use the private sector for its own gains.

“[The] government should provide solutions to the private sector and not create a problem for them,” she said.

Rafidah added that one of the proposed strategies for the government is to use a conservative approach.

“Whenever the government releases a strategy, it must first consult with the private sector and relevant stakeholders. This is so that the private sector has a sense of belonging (and) can accept it [strategy] and be inclined to implement it — whether it is trading or investment.

“Once the government has made the private sector as its partner, the private sector will support the government because it knows the government is there for them,” she added.