KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim asserted today that the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition has fulfilled its key election promises on governance, fighting corruption, wastage and power abuse.
The newly-sworn in Port Dickson MP was responding to criticism that PH is backpedalling on its promises in the run-up to the May 9 general election now that it is the government of the day.
“The core issues that was decided by Pakatan Harapan has been honoured. Issue of governance, anti-corruption, no compromise to waste and the abuse of power… that to me are key and fundamental issue that this government must uphold,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.
Anwar said while a lot of factors need to be taken into consideration in formulating the election manifesto, the reality remains that the PH government had inherited an administration that had faced economic and financial constraints under the previous Barisan Nasional ruling.
“We had to reconsider and take stock of the financial constraints, economic realities and global trading arrangement.
“I think Tun Dr Mahathir is right in that regard to say that some of these (pledges) need to be rehashed or relooked,” he told a press conference outside Dewan Rakyat here, today.
Although Anwar said he did not play an active role in putting together the manifesto, the incoming PKR president said the pledges were formed in the spirit of the coalition’s previous manifesto.
“I cannot claim to get any credit because I was just assisting in a limited way when I was in prison, but the key components of manifesto were actually decided and taken from the earlier PH manifesto,” he said.
On Friday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that it was not possible to implement toll-free highways and revealed he was against that pledge in the PH election manifesto.
The PH chairman also said the manifesto was formed with the expectation that the former coalition party would not become the government.
