Digest on Malaysian News

PKR promises Sarawak religious freedom, more cash if Pakatan win next week’s Sarawak state election.

PKR manifesto/bulletin pledged the following:
1. to form a land reform commission,
2. freedom of religion in any language
3. RM400 a month for senior citizens
4. set up a RM1 billion fund to combat hardcore poverty
5. bring its competence, transparency and accountability administration system (CAT) that has been practised in Penang and Selangor, to Sarawak.

Penang deputy chief minister Datuk Dr Mansor Othman who unveiled the bulletin at a press conference here stated that almost all of Sarawak’s problems - land disputes, unequal development, poverty — were related to Taib’s long reign.

The bulletin details Taib’s alleged wealth and contrasts it to the poverty level in Sarawak where it claims that 70 per cent of long houses do not have piped water, electricity and roads.

PKR and their partners are expected to have a difficult time selling such a smear campaign in rural Sarawak as the longhouse folks are more content if you give them crates of cheap beers and roasted pig or two.