Abdul Karim ticks off Pakatan

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KUCHING: The pledge by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to build the Trans-Borneo Highway from Tanjung Datu to Kudat, Sabah is just an empty promise made to hoodwink voters as the general election approaches said PBB supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

“They also promise to reduce price of petrol within 24 hours after forming government. These promises, however tempting are ‘carrots dangled’ to voters. Fortunately, not many Sarawakians will fall for them,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Abdul Karim, also Assistant Youth Development Minister, was commenting on the pledge made by PKR Sarawak youth chief Ahmad Nazib Johari who had said the party would build the highway if given mandate by the people to form the new federal government.

Ahmad Nazib who made the promises at a political talk in Kota Samarahan on Sunday said with the highway, travelling by road from here to Miri which usually took 14 hours could be shortened to just four hours.

According to Abdul Karim, such a promise was impossible to keep even if PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were to be the Prime Minister.

“The rakyat are beginning to see who this Anwar really is. He could have lobbied for this highway when he was the deputy prime minister and finance minister but then what did he do? We have enough of these sweet promises,” he said.

Karim said Barisan Nasional had many plans for the gradual development of the state and would not resort to making election promises just to win votes.

“Whatever good planning BN has for the state and the rakyat, these are being implemented whether the election is near or far,” he said.