KOTA KINABALU, Sabah: Voters in the 17th Sabah State Election are advised to use their wisdom to assess every promise offered by political parties in their manifestos before making a decision, as there is no guarantee that they can fulfilled these promises.
Researcher at the Borneo Electoral Studies and Geopolitics Unit (GeoPES) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Dr Azizan H. Morshidi, said political parties in the country are not bound by any law to implement their election promises, and it is instead up to the honesty of the parties whether to fulfil them or otherwise.
Azizan said this is because in Malaysia, a manifesto is viewed merely as a political document, not an official or legally binding document.
“If they (parties) do not implement what they promised to voters after being elected, will the voters continue to trust these parties in the next election?
“This (honesty and political will) is the real binding factor, even though it is difficult to hold a party accountable for implementing its manifesto, voters will evaluate them. So, assess carefully how far the party can deliver on its manifesto,” he told BERNAMA.
Although a manifesto is merely a political document, Azizan stressed that it remains important as an instrument for voters to gauge the capability of a political party in fulfilling its promises.
“Through the manifesto, we can study the positions of political parties, the framing of their stance or agenda setting, and their accountability as political parties within a democratic system,” he said.
Azizan said that when evaluating manifestos, sentiment should not be the main factor but instead, the focus should be on the authenticity of the promises – whether the promises are logical, fantasy or reality – and the extent to which they can be implemented.
He said among the common reasons given by political parties that fail to fulfil their manifesto promises is insufficient financial resources.
Therefore, voters should evaluate whether the manifesto is realistic based on the state’s financial position.
“If we begin from that standpoint, I am certain and confident that we (voters) can make wiser decisions. We must think between the party’s agenda and the actual reality,” he said.
Referring to the manifestos presented by political parties in the current election, which he described as very interesting, Azizan said he noted a lack of offerings related to digitalisation, especially artificial intelligence (AI), which he said is crucial in today’s era.
“Five dimensions related to AI can actually be incorporated into manifestos – the use of AI in developing the economy and various sectors, AI in public services and administration, AI infrastructure, AI talent and human capital, as well as AI ethics.
“However, in this matter, there are issues that need to be addressed first, such as improving internet coverage and speed before we push for AI implementation in Sabah,” he said.
The campaign period for the 17th Sabah State Election, which began on November 15, ends at 11:59 pm on November 28. Polling is on November 29.
For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php. – Fadzli Ramli/BERNAMA
