BN pledges no one will be left behind

Transformation of the entire nation for the better, reaching out to all levels of society this is what the Barisan Nasional manifesto for the 13th general election really amounts to.

From drawing a massive RM1.3 trillion worth of investments and creating 3.3 million new jobs with better incomes to harnessing the full potential and capacity of people with special needs and taking proactive steps to better care for the environment, the pledges in the document stand out in one major aspect.

And whats that?

All the promises are realistic and can indeed be fulfilled by a government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that over the last four years has shown its capability and capacity to deliver on all the commitments it had made earlier.

In introducing the government and economic transformation programmes (GTP and ETP) during his term in office, he has ensured that these produce the desired results, and this is the foundation on which he can readily assert that all the 2013 election promises can be fulfilled.

This is a first-ever for an election manifesto in this country - chockfull of specific projects, programmes and actions that encompass every aspect of the peoples lives.

The 32-page manifesto contains more than 150 commitments, most of them with specific projects and programmes.

This is in sharp contrast to the opposition manifesto released recently, with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng conceding that it only comprises general policies, directions and targets.

Lim papered over the lack of details by saying the opposition cant put every detail in the manifesto, otherwise it will be too thick and people will not be interested in reading it.

The BN, however, has managed to present a comprehensive manifesto that has all the particulars that the electorate would really want to know; in other words, commitments are spelt out in terms of specific projects and programmes that are realistic because the BN has been delivering on similar commitments over the past four years.

What stands out in particular in the BN manifesto is Najibs insistence that we must never leave anyone behind in the national discourse and in pursuing the national agenda.

A country where the weak are protected, those in want assisted, the strongest protect, the young are loved, the elderly valued, those in need are attended to, and those with potential given opportunities to bloom.

Some of the headline commitments to be realised over the next five years should the BN be returned to power:

* Increasing the value of BR1M to RM1,200 per household, book vouchers and schooling aid payments.

* An automotive policy that will gradually reduce car prices by 20 per cent to 30 per cent and make the national cars more competitive.

* Lowering broadband charges by at least 20 per cent with guaranteed bandwidth.

* A host of consumer-oriented measures to help ease the cost of living.

* Greater focus on dealing with the pronounced urban shift, including creating a new ministry and providing quality public housing.

* Building a million affordable homes and assisting the poor and lower income group in rehabilitating their homes.

* Quality healthcare for every Malaysian, discounted prices for specific medication for Malaysians with special needs, and palliative home care for the aged and terminally ill.

* Bus, rail and taxi terminals in all towns and cities as well as ensuring more efficient bus services.

* Expansion of the highway network, constructing the Pan-Borneo Highway.

* Compelling service providers to ensure quality mobile phone service and reliable wireless access.

* Implementing the 21st Century Village concept to spur rural transformation and bring the rural community into the mainstream of development.

* Create 3.3 million new jobs, of which two million will be in high-income sectors.

* Work towards achieving a per capita income of RM45,000 by 2020.

* Implement a transformation programme for small and medium enterprises.

* Reform the tax structure that is more broad-based and gradually cut personal and corporate tax.

* Enhance the effectiveness of the bumiputera agenda by having a stronger support system and creating more business opportunities.

* Having policies that are fair and equitable to all races.

* Improving the education system so that it is among the best globally.

* Developing further the thinking skills of students, enhancing performance in mathematics and science studies and making English a compulsory pass for SPM.

* Bring about a police omnipresence so that people feel safer and more secure.

* Have greater women participation in the national decision-making process.

* Programmes to nurture quality leadership and creativity among youths.

* Gazetting all native customary land and provide more income-generating opportunities for the indigenous communities.

* Appoint a minister to deal with non-Muslim matters.

* Public disclosure of contracts to enhance transparency in government procurement.

* Compelling MPs and state assemblymen to sign the integrity pact.

* Ensuring a fair mix of all races in the civil service and government-linked companies.

* Improve the quality of the civil service through, among others, talent development.

* Expand the urban transformation centres to all major cities and towns.

* Seek a seat on the UN Security Council so that Malaysia can play a prominent role in regional peace and international security through the governments policy of moderation.

* Allocate space for green lungs within major cities, revitalise rivers and streams, further promote renewable green energy resources, and modernise waste disposal and management.