YOURSAY 'I think it's not manifesto vs manifesto, but BN's track record vs Pakatan's possibilities. Fifty-six years of BN rule is more than enough to judge.'

Stop bickering over manifestos, says Saifuddin

Hmmmmmmmm: It's not so much about arguing who copied whose manifesto, but what riles us up is the fact that BN criticised Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto, especially the part about reducing car prices, claiming that it will bankrupt the country.

Then, surprise, surprise, BN also has reduction of car prices in their manifesto and they claimed that Pakatan copied theirs. What cheek.

SKT: People wouldn't mind if BN has copied the manifesto from Pakatan and really implements it if they win. But it is unfair for BN to say that Pakatan's manifesto, in which it has similar policies, would bankrupt the country.

And now they even accuse Pakatan copied from them. Seriously...

Onyourtoes: Of course, manifestos can't differ much; after all many of these are ideal statements. The test is what the manifestos can accomplish.

Umno-BN has had all the time in the world (more than five decades in fact) to do what they have now promised to do.

Today, the coalition is still promising and yet it has the audacity to accuse others of copying its promises. That is the difference, my friends.

Abu Member: At school, we more or less called it copying or cheating, at college, we called it plagiarising, and at the office, we called it ‘xeroxing'.

What matters is who came out with the idea first. And who implements it first.

Starr Yes, I agree that good ideas and policies are not and should not be the domain of any one party, and it doesn't score points for the one coming out with it first. However, actually implementing such sound ideas and policies would score points and indeed win the match.

But one pertinent question is why the Umno-BN government hadn't done what is in their manifesto all this while when it has the opportunity to do so? Why only now on the eve of the general election? Having good ideas and policies and not implementing them is worthless.

Ksn: Good call, Saifuddin Abdullah. Instead of who copied whose manifesto, the parties should campaign and talk about their performance - Umno-BN during their 50 years in federal government and the states under their care, and likewise Pakatan in the states they are in charge.

For example, Umno-BN can talk about what they have done to fight corruption, cronyism, abuses of public funds, extravagance, abuse of laws, positions, authority, discrimination, oppression of the minorities, the NEP, opportunities for all in the civil services instead of 95 percent for one race, freeing public institutions like the judiciary, the PDRM, MACC, AG's Chambers from executive control, manning them all with competent officers, that sort of thing.

Jedi_Who: I find it hard to believe a good man can survive in a pit of vipers. Saifuddin has to make a decision. Either you are Umno-BN or not.

He must know how Umno is manipulating fraud in the electoral system as well as how billions are being siphoned out and how race and religion is being used to divide the nation. Making good-guy statements once in a while is not convincing to the public.

Vijay47: Going through this and other statements by Saifuddin, I cannot help but wonder whether he actually is from Umno, a party not known for coming out with anything intelligent. He is spot on in his disdain for the feud over the originality of the respective manifestos.

Both Pakatan and BN are being extremely childish quarrelling over insignificant issues when what is at stake is the governance of our nation for the next five years.

Do you need to be reminded that good ideas and objectives are not the monopolistic preserve of whoever came out with them first?

Having said that, it must also be granted that the die has been cast, the majority of those going to vote one way will vote that way whatever is said and done now. Perhaps what needs to be won over now are the fence-sitters.

Bringing them over to your side requires plans and proposals that are practical and beneficial, not whether my father or your father is taller and stronger. So bring on the big debate.

Malaysiawatch4.blogspot: So why are the government TV stations not doing their job and organising such debates? Instead, the caretakers are wasting taxpayers' funds using government machinery to campaign for themselves.

Disgusted: Only way to settle this issue in the style of a First World democracy is for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and BN chief Najib Razak to debate it on the mainstream media TV1, Astro and TV3. Does Najib have the guts to do it?

Astounded: Forget it, Najib would never dare to debate Anwar. On the face of it Najib would like people to know that it is beneath him to debate Anwar, but the real reason is Najib is no match for Anwar, not only in terms of oratorical skills but also charisma.

It is a pity that Saifuddin is the only one of his kind in Umno. He appears to be liberal and open minded but unfortunately most of his colleagues in Umno are the complete opposite. They are racist, arrogant and bigoted.

So Saifuddin cannot really represent Umno. The Umno that most people know is not the face of Saifuddin. It is more like the faces of incumbent Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Law Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, Information Minister Rais Yatim and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Unfortunate, but true.

Appum: Saifuddin, to be fair, I think you are a very level-headed guy who talks sense in the midst of morons amongst your comrades in Umno. But unfortunately, you are in the wrong company of brainless leaders.

Yes, I agree with you, take this manifesto debate to a higher level. Please convince your chief Najib to debate with Anwar like what proper leaders ought to do. That would be the best thing you can achieve, in pressuring your chief to do a national debate.

Thana55: I think it's not a question of ‘manifesto versuss manifesto', but of BN's track record versus Pakatan's possibilities. Fifty-six years of rule is more than enough to judge Umno-BN.

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 .