PORT DICKSON: The statement of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in admitting the government faced difficulties in fulfilling the manifesto of Pakatan Harapan (PH) was not meant to trivialise the manifesto, said PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He added the statement made by Dr Mahathir on the other hand was sincere in saying that some manifesto could be implemented and some should be postponed.
“I do not think Tun Dr Mahathir was trivialising the matter but was sincere in saying what we could carry out and what we should postpone,” he told reporters after a dialogue session at TemuAnwar@UNITI here yesterday.
He was commenting on the statement of the Prime Minister today when Dr Mahathir conceded it was difficult for the government to fulfill the manifesto including the pledge to repeal several draconian or extreme laws.
Asked if the PH manifesto was impossible to be implemented, Anwar said the matter would be discussed in the PH Leadership Retreat and the PH Presidential Council Meeting.
“Tomorrow, there will be a PH Leadership Retreat and on Monday, there will be a PH Presidential Meeting, I believe the matter will be raised and discussed with Dr Mahathir himself,” he said.
In another development, Anwar who is also Port Dickson MP, also called on the Election Commission (EC) to clarify on the decision of not allowing 18-year-old voters to vote but allowed to stand for the Tanjung Piai by-election.
“EC should clarify why an 18-year-old be a candidate but cannot vote.
“I hope EC will clarify as there are processes EC is taking which involve millions of people, it needed the software and so on ... ,” he said.
The Tanjung Piai Parliamentary seat in Johor which will be held on November 16 will be seeing candidates aged 18 allowed to contest for the first time in the history of the country’s election.
EC chairman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun on Tuesday said this followed the amendment of Article 47 of the Federal Constitution relating to the change in age limit from 21 years to 18 years which was gazetted and is in effect. — Bernama
