PUTRAJAYA: Promises, promises and more promises. Pas leaders seem to be full of them these days, what with nomination day around the corner and polling just 16 days away.

Its long list of promises may weigh down the manifesto that is to be unveiled today.

There really seems to be no end to what the party says it can deliver.

Listening to party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in Putrajaya on Tuesday, it appeared that he was making promises as though they were going out of fashion.

Addressing more than 100 Pas members at a food outlet in Parcel E of the federal administrative capital, he made it very clear that the party’s primary task was to stymie the Barisan Nasional.
Hadi outlined in general the things the loose coalition comprising Pas, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat would do if it won the March 8 general election.

What was missing was the detail or minutae of the promises being dispensed freely.

One such instance was the promise involving Pas’ welfare state concept where it would do whatever was necessary to help the poor and needy.

What was woefully missing were the details on how the party intended to do this.

Saying that a welfare state was in line with the teachings of Islam, Hadi cited countries like Britain which had long adopted the concept and succeeded in helping those in need.

According to him, financial benefits from the scheme would accrue to all Malaysians “as the opposition would not practise favouritism".

For this to succeed, Hadi said well-to-do Muslims would have to pay tithes.

“There are eight categories of tithes under Islam, and the money can be used to help the poor.

“Islam also encourages financial contributions from the wealthy. So, there should not be any problem for us to create this welfare state.

“To say that if we do this, the country will go bankrupt is ridiculous. Pas can definitely do it.”

He also said that the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat leaders were agreeable to the concept, a claim not particularly borne out by the two opposition parties.

“When Pas won in Terengganu (in 1999), we abolished toll collection and we lost about RM20 million, but that did not stop us from doing well to help the people,” he said.

Administering the national coffers may not be that easy. Pas should realise that it will face an uphill task bringing in revenue “if” it wins at the polls.

For one, it lacks the financial credentials that the Barisan Nasional has built over the past four decades, besides the absence of a multiracial pool to manage the economy.

It also does not have a particularly good track record when it comes to development in Kelantan, its bailiwick, which it touts as a model state.

Some of those present were predisposed towards Hadi’s promises, nodding in agreement. But there were many who shook their heads in disbelief at what the party chief had to say.

“It is easier said than done, and there is actually no substance (in his speech). His speech also depicts a holier-than-thou attitude, very rhetoric and typical of Pas,” a member of the audience was heard saying.

He was particularly sceptical of Hadi’s point that the first thing the opposition would do if came to power was to revive democracy.

Hadi also promised that Pas would “remain” in Kelantan while “conquering” Kedah and Selangor.

He also said that PKR would make inroads in Penang and Sabah with the DAP improving its lot in urban areas.

Hadi was also confident that the opposition would win at least 40 parliamentary seats to deprive the BN of a two-thirds majority.

In an immediate response, Putrajaya Umno deputy head, Datuk Khairuddin Abdul Samad, scoffed at the promises being made by Hadi and other Pas leaders.

“They are making all sorts of promises. Let them go ahead. The voters are mature and know who they can trust to lead this country.

“The BN’s track record says it all. We will see its effect on voters on March 8,” Khairuddin said.