A leader of the Pakatan Harapan government asked the population to give the new government five years before judging it on its performance.
To achieve its goals, the PH government should be given the time to fulfil its promises to the people, says Democratic Action Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
Lim who is also the finance minister in the government of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says time is needed to implement the various programmes that would benefit the entire country.
“We hope people can have patience. We have been elected by the people, we have five years…give us time to fulfil all the promises,” he said at a discussion forum.
The government is facing an uphill battle to implement its reform agenda, unable to replace some laws and bring in new ones that will allow for speedy reforms.
It claims it does not have a sufficient majority in Parliament to pass or revoke some laws, despite several opposition MPs crossing over mostly to Dr Mahathir’s party, the Bersatu.
The PH regime has insisted it inherited a lot of problems that it has to solve from the previous government of ex-PM Najib Razak.
Najib is facing trial in the 1MDB and its related scandals, a trial that has stretched over months much to the displeasure of those who want to see him behind bars.
Instead, Najib was free to campaign for the Barisan Nasional in by-elections and contributed in defeating the Pakatan’s candidates in several bouts.
The PH is also fighting it out desperately in the Tanjong Piai, Johor by-elections to be held on Nov 16. The united and resurgent opposition in a pact between Umno and the Islamists PAS is given as hot favourite to snatch the seat from Pakatan. /TISG