KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto unveiled by its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tonight can be considered as "mostly realistic" except for a few promises, analysts said.
They said the BN manifesto called "PADU" showed that the coalition understood the people's wishes and it may swing some critical votes toward the pact.
Fellow at the Institution of Malay Rulers Chair, Universiti Teknologi Mara Mujibu Abdul Muis said initiatives such as monthly cash aid to low-income households and the two per cent income tax reduction for the M40 group were achievable.
Apart from that, he said promises such as creating a Political Funding Act, appointments of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief and Election Commission chairman through a special parliamentary select committee, and amending the constitution to allow the conferment of citizenship of children born abroad by Malaysian mothers were commendable.
"In general, the BN manifesto is realistic, it shows that BN listens to the people and the leaders responded to the demands through this manifesto by giving the people what they want.
"It's a good thing that BN did not promise the stars and the moon in this manifesto such as abolishing tolls or reducing the petrol price to 50 sen.
"This manifesto also shows that BN is selling the fact that its leaders have vast experience after helming the federal administration for over 60 years and political stability is achievable with them.
"However, I did detect some populist and unrealistic promises that would take a long time to happen," he told the New Straits Times.
Mujibu said initiatives such as introducing a flexible studying system and a school system without textbooks were quite unrealistic.
He said the same goes for promises such as handing out free laptops and providing free higher education to children in the B40 group.
"How exactly will it be free (for higher education)? It is not thoroughly explained. So, there are mostly realistic initiatives except for a few that can be considered as not concrete enough.
"But then again, manifestos are an idealistic thing. The public can't expect any party to fulfill 100 per cent of the promises made.
"However, at the very least, this manifesto can be used as BN's report card for GE16, to see how many of the promises made have been fulfilled."
This view was echoed by Universiti Malaya's political analyst Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi who described the BN manifesto as a "fresh offer" for Malaysians.
He said the BN manifesto may be able to attract young voters and sway between 20 and 25 per cent of the votes come GE15.
"There are many initiatives that are close to the people's hearts especially on the citizenship issue as this is among the critical matters that should've been resolved already.
"If all of these promises can be realised in the next five years, a prosperous and united Malaysia can be created and people's confidence in BN will return.
"I expect at least an additional of between 20 and 25 per cent of the voters would support BN as a party that they would want to give a chance to helm the federal government once again," he said.