YOURSAY 'They want everything written in detail. It would be helpful if one tries not to thrive on pettiness and look at the big picture instead.'

Rafizi: Pakatan manifesto for all, not just Indians

NewMalaysia: PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli, very well said; we must move beyond race-based policies to more need-based policies. Then only will Malaysians progress together.

We must understand that what Hindraf is asking is similar to the NEP for the bumiputera, and similarly at the end of the day it will be manipulated by a few people to enrich themselves. It will not solve the root problem.

Chiabee2: They want everything written in detail. It is a manifesto, for God's sake. If one wants details, go read some manuals.

Gosh, some have even commented that certain indigenous groups were not represented on stage during the launching of Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto. It would be helpful if one tries not to thrive on pettiness and look at the big picture instead.

Boiling Mud: What Rafizi said is correct - what makes the Indians poor are also precisely what makes the Malays or the Chinese poor. I want to add that what makes us all poor is precisely because of the failures of the race-based political parties that only enrich their own politicians and cronies.

When others have caught on and finally thrown their support behind an alternative that transcends the racial divide, why are some communities insisting on a failed formula and refuse to see the bigger picture?

Anonymous #20411931: If you have one million things to do in your list, can you do all of them at the same time? Different people have different priorities.

I just hope everyone just unites and topple the corrupt BN for now. If the future government or any politician is found to be corrupt, go after them as well.

A_Malaysian: I applaud PKR for sticking to principles. Need-based policies will automatically transcend all racial boundaries. If the majority of the needy are Indians, then Indians by default would get the lion's share of aid.

Rome wasn't built in one day, and there are so many things that are wrong and are built into the system. It will take a long time to dismantle them and replace them with what is right.

Do remember, not all share the same view and undoubtedly there will be those narrow-minded bigots who will do their utmost to resist change.

Dismantling the NEP can't be done overnight - it has to be phased out gradually, I am afraid. Be pragmatic. We need to encourage everyone to embrace change for the better. For those too comfortable where they are today, expect fierce resistance.

Pputeh: I am an Indian and I think its high time we stop harping along racial lines. Helping the poor should be according to needs, not race. Political parties based on race should also be done away with. Come on, we have lived through this for umpteenth years.

MA: Rafizi, I'm Indian and I support you 100 percent. This is what Pakatan has stood for all these years and we don't want these baby MICs springing up everywhere to topple our main agenda - that is to help everyone regardless of race, religion or the colour of our skins.

Jiminy Qrikert : Najib is crying for the Indians. Najib is asking for ‘nambikei'. It won't be long before Najib dances for the Indians. So, with 75 percent Indians already rooting for Najib, it is in the best interest of Hindraf to take their blueprint to Najib.

The chances of getting Pakatan to accept it are now zero but Najib is still willing to accept the Indians' pledge of support. Hindraf should give their ‘nambikei' to Najib, along with their blueprint.

Anonymous #06659895: Hindraf leaders, please visit Sabah and Sarawak to see the poor conditions of the natives living there.

These two states are the richest in Malaysia and yet the people are living in conditions beyond your imagination. All these are due to BN's 50 years of government using its divide-and-rule methods.

Can we all now discard these divide-and-rule methods and work earnestly together with Pakatan for the betterment of our beloved country, Malaysia?

Give Pakatan the chance to manage the country first and then make sensible demands.

Fair Deal: The only way for MCA leaders to redeem themselves is to pull out from BN. But then the corrupt leaders of MCA love the crumbs thrown at them by Umno. So they will continue to pay lip service to appearing more outspoken.

Even former MCA chief Ong Tee Keat, who is supposed to be quite outspoken and independent minded, now supports Umno just because Najib has hinted that he may be fielded as a BN candidate in his Pandan constituency in the coming GE, even though his chances of winning against PKR's candidate Rafizi is highly questionable.

Ong is foolish - if he leaves MCA and joins PKR or DAP, he would easily win in Pandan.

Anak, Bangsa, Malaysia: MCA vice-president Gan Ping Siew, you seem to be out of touch with reality. When is MCA going to learn?

Communal, race-based politics is bad and it has done a lot of damage to Malaysia. Umno, with its supremacist power over the other races, wants to champion the Malay race and Islam only. But today, the Malay race after 55 years is still not up to mark.

Look at how Umno looks after Islam. Just on one word ‘Allah' and the whole nation is divided. The Islam that we see in Malaysia has been politicised and abused by Umno. All the states have their own separate Islamic laws - where is the unity? Each mufti has his own interpretation of the Quran and its jurisdiction.

So in short, Pakatan's manifesto is the right way forward. It should not have any particular race preference.

iVote: MCA's 80,000 new members as claimed by Gan are just in name only, but when it comes to the general election, 80 percent would vote against the party.

Once I was told that in order to have street lights installed on the roads near my residence, we had to first join MCA. This was a ridiculous requirement, and it raises the question whether such new members would be sincere.

Cogito Ergo Sum: Unfortunately for Gan, the damage to MCA has been done by its current leader and its almost obsequious attitude towards Umno, just like MIC.

If Hindraf and other Indians want a new deal instead of the status quo, give Pakatan a chance. Don't forget, BN will never change because too many of its warlords will not want to lose their fiefdom.

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