Pakatan promises Sarawak religious freedom, more cash

KUCHING, April 5 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pledged today to form a land reform commission, freedom of religion in any language and RM400 a month for senior citizens if the pact’s three parties of the DAP, PKR and PAS win next week’s Sarawak state election.

PR, which will distribute these promises in a bulletin-cum-manifesto starting tomorrow, pledged to also set up a RM1 billion fund to combat hardcore poverty.

The coalition, which governs four peninsula states, also stated that it would bring what it called its competence, transparency and accountability administration system that has been practised in Penang and Selangor to Sarawak.

Titled “Kembalikan Hak Rakyat”, the dual language Bahasa Malaysia/Iban bulletin is both an attack on the present Barisan Nasional administration headed by Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and a list of pledges that PR aims to fulfil within one year if it gains power.

The thrust of the bulletin, like PR’s campaign for Sarawak is centred on accusing Taib’s 30-year-old administration rule of gross malfeasance, including cronyism, grabbing tribal land and enriching his family at the expense of ordinary Sarawakians.

In an apparent reference to the Bahasa Malaysia Bible row, the bulletin states that the PR will allow all religions to practise in whatever language they choose.