Petaling Jaya
February 26, 2008
Datin Seri Dr. Wan Azizah, President, Parti KeADILan Rakyat announced the party’s Manifesto entitled”A New Dawn for Malaysia” at a press conference in Petaling Jaya this afternoon (February 26, 2008). Also present were Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim,de facto Party leader, and Dr. Syed Hussin Ali, Deputy President.
She said that the Manifesto”encapsulates KeADILan’s vision for putting Malaysia back on track. It describes how we will build a nation that reflects the true potential, talent and calibre of the Malaysian people. It centres on five central positions that the Party believes are key to start the healing process in the country”.
These are:
1. KeADILan believes that the spirit of the Constitution and the Rule of Law must be honoured in deed, and not just in words. This will ensure the Rule of Law and an independent judiciary, as well as guarantee that basic human rights and dignity of all are protected and upheld under a constitutional state which rejects all forms of racially divisive politics to create a society that is founded on unity, justice and mutual respect.
2. A Malaysian Economic Agenda will be based on a policy that ensures assistance to all poor Malaysians regardless of race and that promotes vibrant internal growth and global competitiveness. For Malaysia to stand again among regional giants like South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, it must play by the rules of the global game as well as eliminate corruption and wastage.
3. Endemic mismanagement of the Police Force for political ends, internal division and tolerance of a culture of corruption have crippled the ability of the police to protect ordinary Malaysians. KeADILan seeks to create a police force that is professional, neutral, better deployed, better trained and better equipped to keep Malaysians safe.
4. Malaysia must be made affordable for all. KeADILan promises to lower the price of petrol in line with higher PETRONAS profits as well as manage the prices of basic goods to ensure a consistent and steady supply.Toll rates and tariffs will also no longer be raised unreasonably to satisfy conglomerates and corporate interests.
5. We must seriously re-evaluate government policies to increase the standards of Malaysian education for all. KeADILan “will allow institutions of learning the freedom to engage the best practices that raise the standard of education, pay educators the salaries their profession deserves and enable universal access to scholarships and higher quality education for all... to brighten the future of Malaysia and her children”.
The Manifesto states in no uncertain terms that “[I]t is time for us to stand together as Malaysians and replace inept, failed leaders with leaders of calibre, vision and integrity. It is time to make Malaysia all it can be and bring about a New Dawn for Malaysia”.
My Fellow Malaysians, it is also time for us to reflect on this Manifesto and what it seeks to achieve.You will note that KeADILan has the political will to implement its 5 commitments to the nation. We take our pledges and promises seriously because governing Malaysia is a major undertaking. But we do not underestimate the difficult tasks that lie ahead. After nearly four years of the Badawi led UMNO-BN government, we have regressed so much that the process of change will demand the commitment, effort and sacrifice on the part of all Malaysians.
Support our Manifesto and vote in favour of change so that with a new dawn that awaits us, we can rebuild the foundations of our constitutional state; when our mission is done, we can truly be proud Malaysians again.—Din Merican
For full text of our Manifesto in various languages, please click below:
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Dear Din
I am behind PKR and the rest who want a CHANGE in our country. I must nevertheless confess, and you would find supporting arguments here(& perhaps elsewhere too) –
as to the doubts in the appointment of Loh Gwo-Burne to stand against Lee Hwa Beng for the Parliamentary seat of Subang Jaya. Lee is a giant in MCA; good or bad, he has a strong reputation as a grounds-man in Subang. If PKR is planning to go head on, it should field a contempary candidate to face Lee, similar to what DAP is doing by fielding Hannah Yeo at state seat. Many folks I have talked to in Subang, who were pro-BN all the while, have stated their intent to vote for the Opposition this time round. However, I fear Loh, being a political novice who spent more time in Shanghai, compared to Lee, might not be able to cut it. Lee is just to powerful & well known; but if a steady candidate was put to face him, then I know he will have a tough fight in his hands.
Shanker,
I have a lot of respect for Haris Ibrahim. He is a genuine human rights activist and very good lawyer. He is dedicated to his cause and very articulate. He deserves our respect. Haris and I chatted often and his ideas about responsible leadership for change resonate with me. Sometimes we disagree but I like him a lot for being what he is—a Malaysian of considerable intellect and strong convictions.
But I have learned that in politics, decisions on the choice of candidates for public office are complex and at best an art. For example, it was not possible to think that one of candidates in Selangor could “disappear “in the night with his family to a destination known only to himself and those who had a hand in this surrender to BN. He could not be contacted on nomination day. Selling one’s watiqah (certificate) seems to be the normal thing for some people and a common practice among “kataks” in Sabah. To me, that is being irresponsible and we will have to fix that.
Loh Gwo Burne may be young but he is an expert on Chinese law with a Masters degree. He is honest and professional; he is the kind of person of character we want in PKR. He is not corrupt. Last night I spoke at his ceramah on Section SS19, Subang Jaya. I was surprised to see how he mingled well with people who came to listen to him. Burne told me that if elected, he would relocate to Kuala Lumpur from Shanghai to serve his constituents. He is one of 27 young professionals (between the age of 25 and 35) who are running under the PKR banner.
Age should not be a factor; character matters a lot, given our culture of corruption. Voters are also entitled to someone with fresh eyes, not an “experienced” person who is part of a very corrupt and inept system of governance perpetuated by the UMNO-BN regime. So the people in Kelana Jaya parliamentary constituency must decide who they want to put in our Parliament. I will choose young Burne and give him a chance to prove his worth. I do that because I can no longer tolerate the inefficiencies and corruption in government. Din Merican