Anwar acquittal to lend spotlight to Pakatan’s policy push
The pact that rules four states won in Election 2008 is gathering here to finalise its plans for elections expected this year.
Dzulkefly said public understanding of PR’s policy thrusts was ‘shrouded in... interpretations, misrepresentation and misinformation’. — File pic“We must quickly leverage on the momentum (gained from the acquittal) and build up a groundswell,” PAS central working committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider.
“Hopefully, we can get some space and get picked up by mainstream media and new media.”
The opposition pact will focus on four policy thrusts — the civil service, Felda, monopolies and the economy, as well as the relationship between federal and state governments — at its third national convention.
It is understood that PR hopes to sway Malay voters, civil servants, the working class and east Malaysians, sizeable vote blocs seen to hold the key to Putrajaya in the next general election.
PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said that while the issues had been raised in the opposition’s Buku Jingga manifesto previously, PR would use the convention to delve further into the “nitty-gritty” of the chosen policy thrusts.
“We will examine the mechanics of how to implement these policies,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
“In the first convention, we laid out the broad principles. During the second convention, we looked at action plans. Now we will peel back the layers.”
Liew said PR’s bid for Putrajaya was about people and their aspirations.PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said PR hoped this fleshing out of policy would help convince voters the opposition was “serious about being in government”.
Dzulkefly added that it was necessary to revisit the four policy thrusts as public understanding of them was “shrouded in... interpretations, misrepresentation and misinformation”.
“We don’t have the mainstream media with us so even if you address the issue once and then you leave it, there’s no guarantee that your target group will get the message,” he said.
Non-politicians have also been invited to speak at the convention, a proposal first mooted by the Kuala Selangor MP.
DAP international secretary Liew Chin Tong said this was intended to show voters that the coming general election was not about PR’s bid for Putrajaya but rather the people and their aspirations.
“It’s not just about the parties but democratisation and better national institutions,” he stressed.
