PUTRAJAYA – PKR vice president Chang Lih Kang has urged party members to play a check-and-balance role in the unity government, saying the opposition cannot be relied on to do so.
Speaking at PKR’s annual congress today, he said PKR members must help ensure that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) component does not stray from its values while helming Putrajaya.
Chang, who is also science, technology and innovation minister, said that party members have to be the ones to issue reminders and advice to the unity government as the opposition appears to not be up to the task.
“If we depend on the opposition to be a check and balance, there’s no hope.
“They don’t have any useful views or policies, just a few issues (that they focus on),” Chang said in his winding-up speech at the party’s annual congress here, in reference to the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional.
“As such, I’d like to ask for your help to monitor our government, give us advice and criticise us when we make mistakes.
“Our friends in the government must be reminded to govern the nation based on the ideals and principles of our party’s struggle,” he added.
Chang also said the unity government, which celebrated its first anniversary on Friday, is facing the challenge of addressing high expectations placed by the people on the administration led by PH chairman and PKR president, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Since we’re in the government now, people are asking us why this and that haven’t been done yet. They told us that they voted for us because of the promises on our election manifesto,” Chang said.
“To this, we say that change cannot be enacted in the blink of an eye. Rome was not built in a day, we need time – especially since this is a unity government with different manifestos from separate coalitions.
“What matters is that we have about four more years (as government) to reach a consensus among all the unity government component members on how we can address this issue,” he added. – November 26, 2023