BN MANIFESTO REFLECTS VISIONS
The ‘visioning’ that has been put in place will always be about meeting societal and basic needs
NOW that the polling date for the 14th General Election has been fixed for May 9, Barisan Nasional’s continuing efforts to achieve the vision of a developed and prosperous Malaysia have been redoubled.
Dubbed as the Mother of all Elections, GE14 will be seen as the moment of truth for BN. Upon analysis it becomes clear that BN had been preparing for GE14 since winning GE13 in May 2013. It was felt then that the people generally had stayed on the periphery, but things changed when BN was returned to power and went about the business of developing the country. The strategy — to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Over the last five years, we have seen how the economy has been drastically transformed, despite the challenging global economic landscape, to meet the needs and desires of the people. The New Economic Model (NEM) was introduced with its twin pillars, the Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Programme — the results of which are now part of the BN manifesto for GE14.
Three points serve to underline this view. First, the manifesto unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on April 7 contained aspirations for the country and its people similar to those that were laid down much earlier, even before the 13th General Election. The pertinent ideas included people-priority and performance-oriented actions by the government.
Second, there is a more conscious attempt to associate government policies with inclusiveness. No one will be left out. There will be something for everyone and it will involve all levels of society.
Third, the whole approach in governance will be more robust and paced with the youth in mind. The focus is on the growing youth population, to meet their enthusiasm and hunger for new challenges in this millennium, especially with the onset of the fourth industrial revolution.
The BN manifesto encapsulates two visions for the future of the country. One is the wish to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of the people starts with women and children, and promises of universal healthcare for everybody.
Two, through the national transformative “visioning” process, Transformasi Nasional (TN50), young people have been galvanised into a tide to mould the future they want to have. It is expected that between now and 2050, the government will have the exuberance of youth to reflect its energy and determination to propel Malaysia to the next level. This was evident when BN also unveiled an agenda for the youth. Some of the state governments had also presented their own manifestos, each mirroring the “parent” manifesto in many ways.
The “visioning” that has been put in place will always be about meeting societal and basic needs. Societal needs include a more democratic model of governance, a re-engaged monarchy, an assertive media, a more equitable wealth distribution formula and a high-profile global outlook. For basic needs, the economy, education and the environment have all been given prominence.
The prime minister has certainly taken into consideration every aspect that relates to the people. As was said by Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Ismail Abd Mutalib, the manifesto is not just a political matter, “it is about driving Malaysia to become a high-income nation. And, to achieve this, we need to have a pool of human capital and knowledgeable citizens”.
As the country marches into the future, the government is aware that the China factor will play a much bigger role in country’s long-term goals. The prime minister himself has come out in strong terms calling upon Malaysians to accept and accommodate China in their scheme of needs and wants, and not to easily give in to the critics or negative comments.
Over the last five years, we have seen how the economy has been drastically transformed, despite the challenging global economic landscape, to meet the needs and desires of the people.
The writer is a retired ambassador, consultant trainer and Universiti Sains Malaysia associate professor