Safer streets, better living standards, quality education, healthy environment, cleaner water and transparent government - these are some of DAP's promises should it be elected government.

DAP today launched an eight-point manifesto with the tagline ‘Just Change It’ for the March 8 general election.

Among others, the party promised a number of goodies including a bonus of up to RM6,000 per family for households earning RM6,000 or less per annum if the party wins the elections.

lim guan eng and dap DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who launched the manifesto at the party’s Penang headquarters, said the RM35 billion to be paid out as bonus would come from the RM70 billion profit of the national oil corporation, Petronas.

"Petroleum money is people's money. We will distribute and share the country's oil revenue with all citizens?" he told reporters at the launching.

penang dap manifesto 250208 candidates Lim said the Barisan Nasional government had wasted the country’s oil revenue on misplaced priorities such as mega-projects and spending wastefully on so-called trade missions overseas.

"Mega-projects were carried out to benefit the elite few while trade missions looked more like international visits to popular destinations. All these wasteful projects and tours were carried out with the people's money," Lim said.

More police personnel

He also said that the DAP would make provisions for the availability of safe and affordable water in sufficient quantity.

It would ensure that 100,000 police personnel were deployed to patrol the streets to reduce crime and eliminate the drug menace, he said.

dap rocket launch event in penang 250208 launch Lim said the party promised to attract quality investments with high-paying jobs.

As for education, it promised to make a global search for top academics to lead the country's institutions of higher learning and increase salaries to attract and retain the best lecturers and teachers.

The DAP national manifesto also promised that a BA federal government would ensure all Malaysians, irrespective of their ethnicity and religious background, have equal access to free and quality education, economic opportunities and employment in civil service.

The manifesto mentioned that the Malaysian crime index has risen by a record 45 per cent between 2003 and 2007 with violent crimes increasing by 119 percent.

Rising prices have also made difficult with an increase by more than 20 percent, a far cry from the BN government's lie of two percent hike.

Corruption has worsened under the premiership of Umno president and Prime Minster Abdullah Badawi since he took over the reigns in 2003 from his predecessor and now his fierce critic Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Tainted by scandals

Abdullah's leadership said the manifesto had been tainted by mega scandals such as the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Trade Zone Scandal.

"We will exhaust all ways and means to control the escalating inflation rate, regularise all places of worship, safeguard religious and cultural interests, benefits and rights of all," said the DAP secretary-general, who will spearhead the Penang DAP electoral campaign.

The manifesto said that a Barisan Alternatif government will take all steps to provide stronger security to Malaysians from crime and other anti-national elements, create a better living environment, promote gender equality and youth empowerment, and, mostly importantly, repeal the Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act and other similar oppressive laws.

"We will surely set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission," he said.

Lim added that if BA was to form the government, it would support a stronger opposition to provide an effective check and balances in the government.