Umno’s culture of victimisation was also a potential cause of Pakatan Harapan not being able to meet some of its promises in its election manifesto, he said.
“If some of the promises are not deliverable, I don’t think it’s our fault,” said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, a PPBM strategist. “There’s a legacy issue we need to deal with and the actual fault lies with Umno’s victimisation culture.”
Civil society groups have long urged Pakatan Harapan to carry out reforms of political financing. Coalition leaders have stated their support and included it in the PH manifesto.
Wan Saiful, who was a PPBM candidate in the general election, said he had spent close to RM200,000 on his campaign to be MP for Pendang, Kedah. The cost included RM50,000 on 5,000 T-shirts, RM50,000 for party flags, and RM15,000 for renting five houses for his workers.
“It’s even more expensive if you lose, especially in a rural area where you still have to service the constituency,” said Wan Saiful, who was defeated by the PAS candidate in Pendang.
He said people in rural areas would also approach candidates for help.
“Support is given continuously and not just during campaigning,” he said at a forum on “Political Financing Reforms”, organised by the G25 group of retired senior civil servants.
Wan Saiful, now political secretary to Education Minister Maszlee Malik, said the previous administration would have gone after those who donated to Pakatan Harapan, which then formed the opposition.
Donors were thus wary about revealing their identities. “If I disclose who my donors are, they might stop funding me,” he said.
On several occasions, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had claimed that the BN administration, with the help of the Inland Revenue Board, had gone after his friends for donating to Pakatan Harapan.
Civil society and several politicians had previously mooted for the identity of donors to be revealed in pushing for reforms.
Wan Saiful, former head of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), also lamented that a handout culture was still prevalent, with people approaching politicians for financial help.
Politicians were reluctant to change and be more transparent about funding as society had failed to change its attitudes.
On PH manifesto not being a bible
Wan Saiful said that, as one of those who had drafted the PH manifesto, he wanted to see all the pledges implemented.
He said the manifesto should be amended in light of the latest economic information and data which had been made available.
A few days ago, Wan Saiful had acknowledged that some of the promises made had been populist in nature, and blamed it on insufficient data when drawing up the pledges.
“I would deny categorically that the problem was with us. We were not given info we were supposed to be given.”
He also defended Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent remark that the PH manifesto was not a bible but a guide, and said Mahathir was right.
DAP: Unfair to accuse PH of not willing to reform political funding