Barisan Alternatif (BA) today promised to build a truly united Malaysian nation under its "Malaysia for All' slogan if it were given the mandate to run the country after the next general election.

This was stressed in three policy working papers presented at the BA inaugural convention today. BA leaders spoke at length on ways to achieve a united nation focusing on the political, economic and social fronts.

The convention, held at PAS headquarters in Gombak, near Kuala Lumpur, was attended by more than 1000 members from the two BA component parties - PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan).

Principles of justice

Addressing the gathering, Keadilan deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali highlighted the fact that "many Malaysians do not feel they are part of a united society".

He said this was because political and economic powers were controlled by the minority.

"The people still feel they are marginalised - like Malaysia is not for all but only for certain quarters who are in power. We (BA) need to ensure that the people will feel that Malaysia is for all - from racial, social class and gender," he said in his working paper.

Elaborating, the veteran politician said this could only be achieved with a wide range of reforms by upholding policies and principles of "justice", abolishing brutal institutions and laws, as well as returning the real power to the layman.

On the economic front, Syed Husin said BA would control the centralisation of wealth in order to ensure its fair distribution.

He added that the Malay special rights provided in the Federal Constitution should also not be "abused" by a group of "already special" people in the name of Malay and Malay special rights.

"(Currently,) the poor still remain as poor, despite living in the Kubang Pasu constituency," he quipped. Kubang Pasu is the parliamentary constituency of outgoing Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Kedah.

Syed Husin also said that corruption and crony practices should be eliminated immediately while those involved in these malpractices should be barred from holding any government position.

BA's new politics

Another two working papers were presented by PAS vice-president Mustafa Ali and Keadilan secretary-general Abdul Rahman Othman.

In his paper, PAS vice-president Mustapha Ali touched on the landscape of BA's "new politics".

He said the new politics is a culture of politics based on worldwide values and religious principles which ensure check and balance in the distribution of powers.

"For example, we have to make sure that the integrity of institutions like the judiciary, Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Agency and the police force is not compromised," he said.

Mustapha also urged BA leaders to prepare for the many challenges ahead including proving to the people that they and the coalition are better than the BN government.

Abdul Rahman reiterated several key strategies in the 2004 BA budget in his working paper titled 'BA generates sustainable economics', which he described as a global vision.

One important strategy, he said, will focus on the importance of growth and distribution of domestic wealth.

He also called on professionals - engineers, accountants and lawyers - to play their role in generating sustainable economics where their professional integrity should not be compromised by political influences. Abdul Rahman himself is a trained accountant.

Common manifesto

The BA national convention is part of a series of efforts to obtain feedback from the people for a common manifesto for the opposition coalition.

BA launched its first joint manifesto 'Towards a Just Malaysia' on Oct 24, 1999. At that time the front consisted of four parties - PAS, Keadilan, DAP and PRM.

However, DAP withdrew in September 2001 after a disagreement with PAS over the latter's aim to establish an Islamic state should it come into power while Keadilan recently merged with PRM into the new entity, PKR.

Speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony this morning, PAS president and opposition leader Abdul Hadi Awang said the new manifesto would be similar in principle to the one in 1999 which called for a formation of a democratic state, justice and protection of basic rights.

On the BA's relationship with its former ally DAP, he said the opposition coalition still maintains a very close working relationship with the Chinese-based party as evident by their cohesive cooperation during Parliament sittings.