Anwar: Dr M has not junked our election manifesto
PORT DICKSON: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has not forsaken Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto by saying it is difficult to fulfil their election pledges.
In defending Mahathir, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the premier was honest enough to admit that not all pledges could be fulfilled for the time being.
“I don’t think Mahathir was trivialising the matter. I think he was sincere enough to say what we can carry out and what should postpone,” he told reporters after a dialogue session at TemuAnwar@UNITI yesterday.
Asked if Pakatan’s election promises were impossible to fulfill, Anwar said the matter would be discussed at their scheduled retreat today and the Pakatan Presidential Council meeting.
“There will be a Pakatan Leadership Retreat and on Monday, there will be the presidential meeting. I believe the matter will be raised and discussed with Mahathir himself,” he said.
In another development, Anwar, who is also Port Dickson MP, also called on the Election Commission (EC) to clarify the decision of not allowing 18-year-old to vote but was allowed to stand as candidate for the Tanjung Piai by-election.
“EC should clarify why an 18-year-old be a candidate but cannot vote.
“I hope the electoral body will clarify as there are processes EC is taking which involve millions of people,” he said.
The Tanjung Piai by-election, which will be held on November 16, will be seeing candidates aged 18 allowed to contest for the first time in the history of the country’s election.
EC chairman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun on Tuesday said this followed after the amendment of Article 47 of the Federal Constitution, which lowered the criteria from 21 years to 18 years of age.
By G Vinod
