Feb 26, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim vowed on
Tuesday to end race-based discrimination policies, lower fuel prices and
fight corruption in a policy manifesto ahead of Mar 8 polls.
Anwar, who was deputy prime minister until being sacked and jailed in
1998,
said long-running policies favouring majority Malays had only benefited
cronies of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno).
'The New Economic Policy has been abused to enrich the family of Umno
leaders and their cronies,' said Mr Anwar who is campaigning for the
Keadilan formally led by his wife.
'If you really want to deal with the issue of poverty, why can't we just
say
we have an affirmative action policy helping the poor and the
marginalised. '
'It should not be racially based.'
Malaysia has pursued an affirmative action programme for Malays and
indigenous groups known as 'bumiputras' since the 1970s to close a wealth
gap with the minority Chinese community.
However, it has been criticised for failing to pull a large number of
Muslim
Malays out of poverty, and of ignoring the minority ethnic Indian
community,
which is also disadvantaged.
The manifesto entitled 'A New Dawn for Malaysia,' centred on battling
rising
inflation, which has triggered public anger and rare public protests as
the
prices of food and fuel edge higher.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said the government cannot afford
to continue spending 43.4 billion ringgit (S$19 billion) annually to
subsidise essential items.
Mr Anwar, who was heir apparent in 1998 to then-premier Mahathir Mohamad,
spent six years in jail on sex and corruption charges. The sex charge was
overturned but the corruption count bars him from taking public office
until
April.
His wife has said she will stand aside to make way for Mr Anwar to contest
her seat in a by-election after the March polls, in a plan that could see
him return to parliament within months.
Mr Anwar said Mr Abdullah was 'in denial' over the state of the economy.
'Keadilan promises to lower the price of petrol ... as well as manage the
prices of basic goods to ensure a consistent supply. Tolls and tariffs
will
also no longer be raised,' he said.
Keadilan has forged a loose alliance with two other opposition parties who
have agreed to stand just one candidate against the government in each
constituency, avoiding damaging three-cornered contests.
The opposition hopes that gripes over inflation, rising crime rates and
mounting ethnic tensions will enable it to reduce the government's
thumping
majority below two-thirds for the first time in history. -- AFP
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