RANTAU POLLS | DAP deputy chairperson Gobind Singh Deo today criticised the opposition who often harped that the new Pakatan Harapan government had failed to implement its pledges from its manifesto for the 14th general election.

Gobind, who is also communications and multimedia minister, said despite having been in power for only 11 months, the Harapan government had actually implemented the main core of its manifesto, namely, to save Malaysia from corruption and abuse of power.

He added that this, among others, had been proven through the actions of the government in solving the issues related to the nation’s main agencies such as Tabung Haji and Felda.

‘’If people say Harapan did not fulfil its promises, look at what happened in Parliament last week, for Harapan, for Felda we raised the issues, we promise we will bring improvements, we will bring reform and we will uncover wrongdoings and we will repair, we implement.

"We are doing exactly what we promised to do. Indeed, there are other parts of the manifesto we must implement some more, but we have time, we have five years... and I ask all who are here, we are all together, after 11 months we are still strong and what we need is to move ahead," he said.

He said this in his speech at a general ceramah at Taman Sri Intan, Kampung Siliau near Seremban tonight which was also attended by Harapan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

Gobind said that, although only being in power for in a short period of time, the Harapan government had clean leaders who did not practice corruption and always endeavoured to ensure the money and funds in the country were used for the Malaysian people and not for their own cronies.

“That is what we want, a government with a difference from BN.

‘’We have a choice, we show we have leaders, not only clean leaders, but leaders who take steps and endeavour to clean, improve the economy and raise the standard of living of the Malaysian people, that is the Harapan government,’’ he said.

He said the government which had ruled the nation for 61 years (BN) left behind a country and states which had very acute financial problems.

‘’..all these scandals, all these shortcomings and damages took place when they became the government which had consequences on agencies such as Tabung Haji and Felda,’’ he said.

He said the Harapan government was also committed to building a country which would make the people proud to be Malaysians, and did not want the issue of racism and religion to be constantly raised and fanned.

The Rantau state by-election on Saturday would see a four-corner contest between the Harapan candidate Dr S Streram, BN candidate Mohamad Hasan and two independent candidates, namely, housewife, R Malarvizhi and former lecturer, Mohd Nor Yassin.

- Bernama