BN manifesto: Security, peace, prosperity

The ruling Barisan Nasional is going all out to woo voters this time round, complete with a spanking new election website and an unconventional manifesto.

Drums were beating when top BN leaders entered the hall to a rousing applause from 500 party supporters who packed the Putra World Trade Centre auditorium in Kuala Lumpur.

Their election campaign slogan ‘security, peace, prosperity’ was displayed in the backdrop.

The manifesto also carries the progress report from the past four years showcasing what the ruling coalition has done and what it aims to achieve.

This is a stark contrast from previous manifesto - entitled 'excellence, glory, distinction' - that only presented the aims and promises by the party.

Economic achievements

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his speech stressed that the public vote should go to BN based on the economic achievements by the government by giving statistics and figures.

"Our economy grew by 6.3 percent in 2007. The best it has performed since 2004, our fiscal deficit was brought down to 3.2 percent of the gross domestic product, international trade crossed the RM1 trillion mark, some 1.3 million job opportunities (were created), our stock market hit an all time high and five strategic development corridors were launched," he said.

"We made many promises in the last elections and we have fulfilled them all," he asserted to cheers and applause.

According to the manifesto, there is still unfinished business for the ruling coalition.

"For example, our fight against corruption and crime is ngoing. Be assured that Barisan Nasional will not be left wanting in our commitment to finish this fight.

Abdullah scoffed that the opposition would be incapable of doing the same if elected into power.

"DAP has their own manifesto, PAS has their own manifesto. They can’t work together. As I have said before. The opposition now are merely forming an alliance of convenience," he said.

Election website

He was flanked by his deputy, Najib Abdul Razak and other party leaders when he launched the BN election website, bn2008.org.my, which has a downloadable copy of the manifesto.

The 24-page manifesto shows the progress report on the left and promises on the right focusing on economy, balanced development, education, law and order, welfare, public service, corruption and governance as well as religion and foreign policy.

The manifesto is accompanied by several documents including a booklet explaining how subsidies work and why the price of goods rise.

The bright yellow booklet, which is printed by the Information Ministry, will be given to the public.

"We want to spread the word as wide as possible," Abdullah said about the manifesto and its sister documents before stressing that the past is the best way to gauge which party is best to lead the nation.

Summary of BN manifesto

Economy

• Raise the nation’s productivity, income and competitiveness levels

• Cushion the effects of rising prices

• Generate two million job opportunities

• Reduce the budget deficit further - more development funds, without increasing taxes

• Follow through on five development corridors to bring equitable growth, investment and job opportunities to all parts of Malaysia

Balanced development

• Eradicate hardcore poverty. Bring poverty rated down to 2.8 percent by 2010

• Increase quality rural jobs and incomes

• Ensure access to modern quality healthcare

• Upgrade urban public transport and reduce traffic congestion

• Affordable housing
• Continue to close the digital divide and improve broadband internet penetration

Education

• Raise teachers’ minimum qualification and provide more training opportunities

• Continue to make national schools the school of choice by, among others, explaining the teaching of Mandarin and Tamil

• Safeguard the position of national-type schools

• Provide more scholarships for undergraduates for poor but deserving students - regardless of race
• Identify apex universities and provide more autonomy and
  resources for public institutions of higher learning to attain world-class standards

Law and order

• Bring down the country’s crime index

• Tackle drug abuse and other social ills

• Address the issue of illegal immigrants

• Add 60,000 police personnel by 2011

• Set up more than 150 new Police stations and beat bases to increase presence in more neighourhoods

• Improve safety in schools, playgrounds and public areas

• Focus police operations and resources in crime hot spots across the country

Public services

• Speed up implementation of e-government initiatives

• Complete overhaul of all land offices and district offices

• Speed up issuance of licences and permits

• Tie civil servants promotions, rewards and penalties more closely to performance targets

• Increase ethnic diversity in the public sector

Reducing corruption and improving government

• Continue to enforce anti-corruption measures without fear or favour

• Strengthen monitoring and enforcement by agencies such as the ACA, Customs, Inland Revenue and local authorities
• Establish an effective Special Complaints Commission
• Continue to foster a culture of integrity and high ethical
  standards through the National Integrity Plan

Religion and unity

• Build better understanding of Islam among Muslims and non-Muslims through Islam Hadhari

• Facilitate construction, consolidation and relocation of all places of worship via state government mechanism, coordinated at federal level, that will protect the interests of all communities.

• Increase dialogue on interfaith issues through the Department of National Unity and National Integration
• Improve unity programmes, especially in schools and institutions of higher learning

Foreign policy

• Continue to play an active, principled and impartial role in international affairs

• Expand trade and investment linkages

• Advance the economic agenda of the OIC through capacity building in less developed OIC countries

• Contribute towards a development agenda for the world’s poorest countries