KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has given an assurance that the party's manifesto will not be laden with 'moon and stars' promises, as well as slanderous as he claimed was done by Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the last general election.

In a latest post on his Facebook, the Member of Parliament for Bagan Datuk said that the 22 -month rule under PH saw the pact's manifesto as just empty promises, such as 'Janji Manismu' sung by singer Aisyah.

Apart from that, the UMNO president added, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government formed after the fall of PH also did not prepare any manifesto.

“We can judge for ourselves what PH did then.

“Various excuses were given for not being able to fulfil the promise whereas before GE14, their team also set up a scout tent in Dataran Merdeka to demand that PTPTN be abolished.

“So, there is no direction and guidelines that can be implemented.

“Compared to Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition of parties first drafted a manifesto. What is important is that the promise is logical and capable of being fulfilled because BN is very concerned about the welfare of the people, developing the country and the economy,” he added.

In December 2019, the then Finance Minister from PH Lim Guan Eng said the PH government had fulfilled promises such as the implementation of the Sales and Service Tax (SST), as well as lowering the price of RON95 petrol to RM2.08 a litre.

The Member of Parliament for Bagan said PH also successfully implemented the My100 Unlimited Rapid Travel Pass for public transport users in the Klang Valley and the Mutiara Pass for the people of Penang.

He added that the PH government has also run a clean, transparent and trustworthy administration that avoids wastage of public funds, which can be channelled to people's development projects throughout the country.

"The Prime Minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) said that 60 per cent of the promises have been fulfilled, only 40 per cent remains. That is why we have to start next year so that it can finally be completed before 2020," he added.

However, history saw in February last year, the PH was overthrown due to internal divisions, and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the next Prime Minister.

Commenting further, Ahmad Zahid said, he had accepted the suggestion of the UMNO Youth and Puteri Wings during the party's general assembly recently, to prepare a new offer to draw back the people's support.

“This means that the party is drafting the latest manifesto and commitment to face GE15. For that reason, I have asked (UMNO vice-president) Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin's team to draft the manifesto.

“And I also understand that the manifesto is compact, clear and achievable. Our focus is to improve the country and the economy as well as to restore the unemployment rate to a low level," he added.