PH manifesto full of promises that can't be realised: Hishammuddin

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan's recently-released election manifesto is a deliberate attempt to fish for votes in the coming 14th General Election (GE14), according to Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Calling on voters not to be fooled by the propaganda attempted by the opposition, the Umno vice-president said the rakyat should look back at the coalition's promises in the 13th General Election (GE13) that have yet to be fulfilled.
"What is important now is to evaluate their promises in GE13, especially in Penang, as we can still remember that they have not been fulfilled until today.
"As such, how do we expect to believe that this manifesto can be realised," he said after launching the Labuan Barisan Nasional (BN) election machinery, in Labuan, today.
The defence minister instead said it was BN's own manifesto, to be unveiled soon, that would be the genuine one, the one that could be turned into reality.
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Pakatan's promise of abolishing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and reintroduce the Sales and Services Tax only looked good on paper, but was actually impractical.
The transport minister said the GST tax system was more effective and efficient, and practised by many countries.
"Tax revenue from GST can be better used to fund construction of infrastructure and development, that are beneficial to the people.
"(Pakatan's promises) are just short-term solutions," he said after the "Maju Bersama Negaraku" programme in Raub.
Meanwhile, the National Professor Council Poll (MPNPoll) believes Pakatan failed to address one of the biggest concerns affecting Malaysian voters in its election manifesto – national unity.
While noting that the issue of national unity was an ever-present challenge in the country, its chairman Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin said Pakatan's failure to include it in its manifesto could be a reflection of its own divisiveness in the coalition.
"They should include it, they have to. You cannot not address it, as the challenge is ever-present. You may address issues of education, but what about education for unity?
"That is why I mentioned previously, many of the manifesto's contents are individual, interest-oriented, like focusing on taxes and student loans, but none national ones.
"Probably they are struggling with unity themselves, that even a general issue like this may not seem as important to them," he told theSun today.
Pakatan released its manifesto last Thursday, and among other things, listed 10 promises it wishes to accomplish within 100 days of taking office, including abolishing the GST and introducing targeted petrol subsidies.