Come tomorrow, Malaysian voters would have made their choice on who should form the government for the next five years.
Let's see what issues the three major contenders - the Barisan Nasional, Barisan Alternatif and DAP - are using to attract support from voters.
The BN manifesto is conspicuously silent on the Islamic state debate. The DAP is opposed to it while the BA talks about promoting Islam as a way of life.
Both rival coalitions pledged to reform the Islamic legal system, to ensure fair and equal treatment of women as well as uphold their rights.
All three manifestos guarantee citizens the constitutional right to practice their chosen religion and to combat corruption.
Both the BA and DAP also promise to restore judicial independence. The BN however pledges to preserve the rule of law and guarantee judicial independence.
Respect for religion
The BN's newly-coined term ' Islam Hadhari ' is its target for a modern and progressive Islam while the turquoise-and-green booklet with a tint of red at the bottom of the cover says: "We respect your religion and culture... (and will) ensure that no house of worship is destroyed."
The DAP wants to preserve the 'Merdeka legacy of a secular democracy'.
"Islamic state is unsuitable for our multi-religious and multi-racial country as it would result in a further Islam/non-Islam divide in addition to the existing bumiputera/non-bumiputera divide," it said in its four-page national manifesto.
The BA promised to limit the post of prime minister to two terms. The BN and DAP made no mention of this.
The BN and BA promised to raise the level of personal safety, combat corruption, increase efficiency in the public service and improve the performance and image of the police force.
While the BN promised to restructure land, district offices and local authorities, the BA and DAP want to reinstate local elections, which have been suspended since 1965, and reduce red-tape in the public service institutions.
The BA has guaranteed free and fair elections and pledged to introduce a Freedom of Information Act. Women will also play a bigger role in policy formulation if the BA gets its way.
The opposition coalition has promised to release an annual declaration of assets for all leaders, civil servants, top private sector executives, as well as to get national oil giant Petronas and the Anti-Corruption Agency to be accountable to Parliament.
Educational burden
The BA and DAP promised to abolish all oppressive laws, including the Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.
To ease the financial burden, the BA promised to drop the interest rate for the National Higher Education Fund, give RM200 to families at the beginning of the year and set up a scholarship-loan fund.
On health, the BA has plans to cancel the privatisation of healthcare and hospitals and expedite the national health financing scheme, among others.
To improve government administration, the BN promised to impose a code of ethics and integrity on the public/private sector, political parties and the public.
The BA also promised free outpatient treatment, reasonable treatment cost and additional infrastructure, equipment and staff in hospitals.
Below is a brief quick-take on the three main manifestos:
