SHAH ALAM, 25 FEB: Pakatan Rakyat aims that every family in Malaysia will take home a household income of at least RM4,000 per month after the first term of governing Putrajaya.
This is done by adding 1 million job opportunities for Malaysians, introducing a minimum wage scheme and assistance to small and medium entrepreneurs to increase their income.
The aim in contained in the PR manifesto with the theme ‘Pakatan Harapan Rakyat’ (translated to ‘The People’s Alliance of Hope’) which is based on four key pillars which are People in Brotherhood, People’s Economy, People’s Well-being and People’s Government.
Under the People’s Economy pillar, PR will reduce the foreign labour force by 1 million in stages for five years and those jobs will be targeted towards Malaysian citizens.
The PR administration will also ensure that every employee is paid a minimum of RM1,100 per month.
To facilitate the implementation of the minimum wage scale, a Minimum Wage Implementation Facilitation Fund of RM2 billion will be created to five automation intensives and to provide implementation grants to eligible companies.
This incentive will give priority to Small and Medium Industries (IKS) for a specified period.
To create more successful entrepreneurs, PR will focus primarily on breaking monopolies and to stimulate competition.
Meanwhile, PR will establish the Anti Monopoly Commission and remodel existing laws related to competition to gain more power to stop unjust business practises.
In addition, The Public Contracts Commission will be established to assess and arbitrate to ensure that all agreements between the government and the private sector are not at the expense of the people.
To harness the power of school leavers in economy, the People’s Pilot Scheme will be introduced which combines permanent job opportunities with regular skill certification up to the level of the Skills Diploma.
Five Technical Universities will also be established in the next 10 years to focus on skills and technical based courses.
In addition, 25 new vocational schools will be built around the country and will be equipped with a new curriculum in accordance with the current economy.
PR will also be widening the income band so that the current 26 percent income tax will only begin to be paid for taxable income exceeding RM400,000 compared with the current RM250,000.
This is to reflect the reality of living expenses incurred by the people.
In order to support the economy and welfare of soldiers, RM500 million will be allocated to the Soldier’s Small Entrepreneur Fund to help former soldiers involved in economic activities after their service ends.
Government contributions to the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) will also be increased from 15 percent to 20 percent and the Soldiers Dividend which is the remuneration of RM2,000 per year to former soldiers who do not receive a pension.
To empower taxi entrepreneurs, PR will abolish the taxi permit system which is granted to certain companies to profit from the hard work of taxi drivers.
PR will also implement specific measures to boost investments in R&D in order to reach a rate of 5 percent of the GDP.
To make public transportation an economic lifeline, PR will reduce congestion in large cities by 50 percent and will revamp the current public transport system.
The system under PR will use all infrastructures such as MRT and buses to create a better network.
