PKR: BN lifting from Pakatan's 'Buku Jingga'

Pakatan Rakyat had hoped to implement the economic, social and political policies and programmes contained in the coalition’s Buku Jingga (Orang Book) once it takes over the reins of federal government in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

Those policies and programmes may already be on their way to being implemented, however, but not in the way coalition had hoped it would happen.

This is because ruling coalition BN has already carried out or pledged the very same policies and programmes that it had ‘ciplak’ (lifted) from the Buku Jingga itself, said PKR’s communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

In a statement, the Seri Setia state assemblyperson cited the BN-led government’s recent freeze on and reduction of  highway tolls, the RM18.4 million incentives announced in Merlimau for school heads and teachers, and the national housing policy.

“In January while Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak publicly described Pakatan’s Orange Book as being populist and irresponsible , we were informed that the prime minister instructed the Economic Planning Unit to look into detail the possibility of implementing the proposals from the Orange Book,” said Nik Nazmi ( left ).

He also cited the CESS payments offered to the settlers of 28 Felda land schemes and on the replanting of rubber with oil palm as proof that BN was ‘copying’ policies from Pakatan’s Orange Book.

“In the Orange Book, Pakatan Rakyat had committed a RM500 special monthly allowance for teachers within 100 days of a Pakatan Federal Government to appreciate the role of teachers and to start the restructuring of the education system,” said Nik Nazmi.

Pakatan had also committed to dissolve Felda plantations within 100 days and distribute the estates to the second- and third-generation Felda settlers.

“It is unfortunate that while Najib plagiarises Pakatan’s Orange Book by stealth, he does not have the courage to accept (Opposition leader) Anwar Ibrahim’s challenge to debate on his claim that the policies are populist and irresponsible,” he added.