Media statement by Liew Chin Tong in Sibu on Monday, 11^th April 2011:

Barisan Nasional's manifesto has no content at all

I counter BN leaders for calling Pakatan Rakyat manifesto as untenable and empty by reminding BN that their manifesto lacks substance and elaboration on what they would do.

BN's manifesto is so bare and lacking in details, I was shocked. I even had to ask my colleague to double-check if he had missed out any detail. For example, I quote one of the points in BN's manisfesto: guarantees people's rights over their land. It is a vague statement that does not tell us how they will implement practices and policies that safeguard people's ownership over their land.

By comparison, Pakatan's point on land reform and native land commission has five clear points on what Pakatan will implement if it comes to power. The people can be assured that the unfair land policy issues as practiced by this BN government will be addressed under Pakatan's rule.

Pakatan has achieved much more than what BN did in its 50 over years when Pakatan took over Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Perak and Selangor. When Pakatan took over Penang in 2008, it had executed various welfare programmes but has already achieved record budget surpluses three years in a row. Selangor has been giving free water to its residents, while Perak under Pakatan's tenure has given out freehold land status to all new village and kampung tersusun (Malay settlement) residents.

Pakatan's manisfesto is clearly stated because we know what we can deliver. The four Pakatan-ruled states are the best examples of what we can show to the public of what we can do.

* Liew Chin Tong, DAP International Secretary, Secretary of DAP National Election Committee & MP for Bukit Bendera