VOXPOP ‘When a mistake is made, Pakatan makes their corrections quickly, unlike you-know-which-party who can only deny everything.'

Pakatan admits oil royalty snafu in manifesto

Blackmoon: The Pakatan Rakyat leaders are a confused lot. This is only a part of the manifesto that is in a mess.

I bet there are many more flawed parts still. What will happen when they try to govern the country, which is their biggest challenge of all? Chaos and disorder? Most probably.

GE 13: PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad, intelligent people don't make mistakes this big (for failing to mention full oil royalty for Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang in the Pakatan manifesto).

Please resign, because the fact is, you can't even start something on paper, how are we to expect Pakatan to implement it then?

Heavywater.: Flawed though they may be with a bit of chaos and possible disorder around, but Pakatan is sincere, and that alone is better than BN and PM Najib Razak's empty promises.

BN has 55 years of doing it right, and yet it has only done more wrong than right. Pakatan is still my choice.

Kgen: Pakatan Rakyat also forgot to put in the policy to reduce car prices.

Bolygal50: It's not just car prices that they were always talking about, there had also been much of an ado over the AP (approved permit) matter. Is this also a typo error?

Before revealing the manifesto, please approach us and talk to us and we will tell you, Pakatan, about what you have missed.

And what about the Hindu Rights Action Force's (Hindraf) blueprint? Are you trying to say that you can do without Hindraf in the GE13?

Amsa: Minor and minute errors of Pakatan becomes such a huge outcry... but what about the severe and serious blunders and crimes that were previously and currently still being practiced by the ruling party?

Onyourtoes: Let's argue a little further. Where was it written in our constitution that oil-producing states in the peninsula are entitled to oil royalty for the oil found off-shores in those states?

Technically, anything three nautical miles off-shore is federal territory. Then we must look at the equity aspect.

If oil-producing states are entitled to oil royalty exclusively for their own enjoyment, what about non-oil-producing states that contribute in the bulk of the taxes to the federal coffer? Is this fair to the non-oil-producing states?

Don't forget, states like Penang, Perak, Johor, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur are contributing in the bulk of the revenue for the enjoyment of the whole country. What do they get in return?

I have not even mentioned about zakat (tithe) yet, which if not rectified, would be sure to cause another big anomaly in the future.

The Real Duke: I am neutral, but at this juncture, Pakatan's manpower and budget are limited and it is obviously not the case for BN, so please be fair to them.

Sabahan: A small matter. As usual, when a mistake is made, Pakatan makes their corrections quickly, unlike you-know-which-party who will deny any mistakes and can only act in threatening moves. Good show.

TimeForChange: Let us work together with Pakatan to improve their manifesto for the betterment of the rakyat. We should not fall into the BN trap of only finding faults with it.

Cogito Ergo Sum: A great man admits his mistake. The lesser ones keep silent and even worse, blame others. I still believe that this manifesto is the best we have had in over 50 years.

MockingYou: Damage control is better than no control.

Rafizi: We don't want goodie-list manifesto like BN's

Thana55: I completely agree with PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli. We have to move to new politics that focuses on key strategies which will deliver maximum impacts. And the Pakatan manifesto does all that.

Starr: An election manifesto is a 'statement of intent' which outlines the policy agenda on critical areas. It's not a budget 'statement of allocation' detailing areas for fiscal action.

Why Pakatan's manifesto is so different from that of BN's is that it doesn't address specific areas with sufficient details, it merely touches on areas to be given their due attention. As such, it's not a ‘bag full of goodies' to lure the voters.

Pakatan's intention is to be sufficient enough to convey their purpose. More importantly, it must be recognised that, at times, it takes more than issues and agendas to win the election, but the quality and principled leadership is also required to win the hearts and minds of the rakyat.

After 56 years of the Umno-BN rule, there is a dire need for principled-centred leadership to deal with the excesses, abuse and corruption of the system to steer the country away from a slippery slope to destruction.

R1: Well said. Fixing the root of the problem should be the way to go, not by providing temporary fixes which will only drag us down even further.

Small Boy: Remember, it's not what you talk, it's what you do. So all the rakyat need to do in GE13 is vote for change, only then can we start to do the real talking and walking. Give yourself a chance.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .