The Barisan Nasional Manifesto for the 2018 General Elections is the latest and biggest “fake news” to surface in Malaysia.
The theme of the Barisan Nasional manifesto “Bersama BN, Hebatkan Negaraku” is not only false and misleading, but one of greatest fake news in the country.
In reality, the hard truth is “Bersama BN, hancurlah Negaraku”.
The most fraudulent statement in the Barisan Nasional manifesto is the undertaking that after the 14GE, the Barisan Nasional will implement the Malaysia Agreement 1963 proposals “based on consensus”.
A moment of serious consideration of this statement will show that it is a meaningless statement, which looks pretty on the outside and is utterly in the innards.
What does it mean that the Barisan Nasional would implement the Malaysia Agreement 1963 proposals by consensus?
It means that all it needs to stop the fulfilment of this promise in its tracks is for one of the 13 Barisan Nasional component parties to object to any implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 proposals – for there would be no consensus for them.
There are four political parties in Sabah and four political parties in Sarawak who are members of the 13-member Barisan Nasional.
It is utterly ludicrous to make such a meaningless promise in the Barisan Nasional manifesto and I call on the leaders of the eight Barisan Nasional component parties in Sabah and Sarawak to requisition an emergency meeting of the BN Supreme Council to amend the Barisan Nasional Manifesto from “implementing the Malaysia Agreement 1963 based on consensus” to a straightforward undertaking to implement the MA1963.
The Malaysia Agreement 1963 proposals had been agreed to by all the signatory parties and should not be subject to any consensus in the Barisan Nasional.
Let me declare that if Pakatan Harapan is given the mandate to form the Malaysian Government in Putrajaya in the 14GE, we will implement that Malaysia Agreement 1963 proposals and not subject them to renegotiations based on consensus of any body.
(Speech at the DAP kopitiam ceramah at Damai, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 11 am)