Nik Nazmi calls for clear commitment to May transition

Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has called for Pakatan Harapan to refocus its efforts on fulfilling its manifesto, especially on establishing certainty on a May transition of power from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

"We need to redouble our efforts to deliver on the pledges of our manifesto," Nik Nazmi said in a statement today.

"Among the things the rakyat is demanding certainty is the transition as promised by the Harapan consensus announced on Jan 6, 2018.

Nik Nazmi urged the Harapan presidential council to commit to a May 2020 transition from Mahathir, as the seventh prime minister, to Anwar.

"This is something that needs to be done for the sake of our country. Whether it is my constituents that I meet in the market, civil servants in Putrajaya or the business community, they want a clear answer on this matter." 

He said while last year was a challenging year for Malaysia, Harapan was able to implement pro-rakyat economic policies and institutional reforms.

However, he acknowledged that they should have done better on economic reforms.

"More work needs to be done in terms of not only creating more jobs and bringing the cost of living under control but also future-proofing our economy. This is to ensure our workers will be able to compete in the face of rapid technological change," he said.

Nik Nazmi also expressed concern over the rise of extreme politics of race and religion, which he said was a manifestation of the growing inequality in society.

"Malaysia cannot be peaceful and progressive without socio-economic justice. The iconic year of 2020 must be a year of reform for the rakyat," he said.

"Harapan must continue the process of institutional reform and super-charge the modernisation of our economy." 

Nik Nazmi also thanked Maszlee Malik for his service to the nation as education minister.

Maszlee had announced his resignation yesterday, after meeting with Mahathir.

The prime minister had said he would announce the new education minister in a "short" time.

Nik Nazmi said he was sure Maszlee will continue to serve his constituents in Simpang Renggam as well as the people of Malaysia in general even after his resignation.

"The (education ministry) portfolio is not an easy one and while we differed on a few issues, the fact remains that Maszlee was able to achieve concrete things despite many difficulties.

"Like it or not, Harapan must up its efforts to effectively communicate its agenda to Malaysians, as well as empowering them in government," he said.