The BN manifesto this time round is 226 pages, and incorporates several budget 2018 announcements as part of the ruling coalition's election pledges.
The manifesto, titled "Bersama BN, Hebatkan Negaraku" (Make the country great with BN) contains 364 promises, which includes more cash handouts, especially to BR1M recipients and Felda settlers.
Salient points of the document follows:
Cost of living
- Minimum wage to be increased to RM1,500 over five years.
- Unlimited transportation pass (RM50-RM150) for students, working youths, senior citizens and disabled persons.
- Tiered dividend by investment units in PNB, Tabung Haji, LTAT, etc. (except EPF).
- Maximum interest rate and late payment charges for credit cards to be reduced.
Welfare
- Behaviour-based BR1M disbursement (e.g., attending skills training, or refusing to immunise your child can affect cash handout).
- One-off RM1,500 aid for children of BR1M recipients entering university.
- Up to RM1,000 matching grant for contribution into SSPN education fund.
- RM500 grant for newborn babies under ADAM50 to be increased.
- Seven-day annual leave for moms to take care of their sick children.
Felda
- RM5,000 incentive for Felda settlers.
- Felda settlers' loan to buy FGV shares will be forgiven.
- RM300mil fund to address 'extreme' loans held by Felda settlers.
Taxes
- Two-year tax incentive for women returning to the workforce.
- Tax exemption for income derived from residential rental.
- Income and corporate tax rate to be reviewed.
Education
- Discount cards for students.
- Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) qualification to be considered for university entry on condition of a credit in Bahasa Malaysia and a pass in history for SPM.
- Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara) to be upgraded to Universiti P Ramlee.
- Setting up of Universiti Al-Quran.
Security
- New 1,000-person capacity prison with an integrated electronic security system for detainees, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 and Prevention of Crime Act 1959.
- Increase in haj quota for armed forces and police personnel.
- Construction of the country's first Veterans' Hospital in Ipoh.
- 45,000 affordable homes for families of armed forces personnel by 2030.
- RM600 aid for armed forces veterans who do not get pension and BR1M.
Nation
- Malaysian Agreement 1963 will be fulfilled based on consensus.
- 'Lain-lain' under race category will be dropped from government online forms.
- Setting up a committee to facilitate between syariah and civil courts in the interest of harmony.
- Setting up a committee to empower the syariah courts.
- Non-bumiputera participation in civil service and public universities to be increased.
- Abolishment of separate price labels for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
- Empowerment of Dayak and Kadazandusun communities.
- Completion of MRT3, LRT3, KL-Singapore HSR, double tracking projects, etc.
Good governance
- Introduction of a Political Financing Act.
- Introduction of a public petition which will require the government to reply if there are more than 30,000 signatories online.
- Creation of an ombudsman to investigate alleged unfair treatment by government agencies.
- Local council meetings to be televised live, with annual audit reports being made public.
- iKepoh app for residents to lodge complaints to local councils on top of regular townhall meetings.
- Setting up a parliamentary select committee to give feedback on public interest issues.
For a more detailed summary of all BN's pledges (in BM) click here. The English version of the manifesto has not been made available at the time of writing.
