Abd Karim doubts if PH can fulfil its election promises

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Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan (PH) still has seven more days to deliver all the pledges it said it would fulfil within 100 days after forming the new federal government.

However, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah does not believe the PH federal government can fulfil all of what PH promised in its election manifesto.

“Looking back, almost none of the pledges have been done in full,” he said, stressing that practically all of the pledges had not been fully fulfilled even though the 100 days are almost over.

Among them, is the glaring failure of giving Sarawak 20 per cent oil and gas royalty, he pointed out.

“PH had pledged that this provision will be done within 100 days from the May 9 general election. Instead, PH leaders have twisted and turned the issue, with different PH leaders giving different interpretations.”

According to him, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad defined the 20 per cent royalty as 20 per cent of net profit from the proceeds of oil and gas extracted on Sarawak region while Sarawak PH chairman Chong Chieng Jen defined it as the current five per cent royalty plus 20 per cent of net profit but on the other hand, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said giving 20 per cent royalty to Sarawak would bankrupt the nation and plunder the nation’s oil industry.

“It’s glaring enough now that PH federal government is not able to commit to their various pledges and those pledges were only meant to entice and win votes from the general public, which they have succeeded to do.

“Voters have been hoodwinked into believing that they would have a better government but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case,” he said when contacted yesterday.

“Most of the PH-led ministries have not settled down yet and also their (PH) ministers’ roles are more to find the fault and excesses done by the previous ministers and government,” he added.

Abdul Karim claimed that the only pledge which the PH government seemed to almost achieve is zero-rating GST.

However, contrary to the promise by PH during the election campaign, cost of living and price of essential goods had gone up instead of going down, he pointed out.

“Nothing seems to go down in prices except for ‘shuttlecocks’ as what YB Chong claimed. Malaysian and Sarawakian voters seem to be taken for a ride with all this bluff and lies from PH in their manifesto. My advice to them is: ‘Mesti cakap serupa bikin’ (Walk the talk). Do what you have pledged. Be responsible leaders and do not lie to the people,” said Abdul Karim.

PBB is one of the four components of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). GPS is the government in Sarawak but an opposition at the federal government level.