Malaysian opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim (centre), together with his wife and People's Justice Party president Wan Azizah Ismail (L) and vice president Syed Husin Ali, holds up copies of the party manifesto in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. (AFP)

kuala lumpur • Malaysia's opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim vowed yesterday to end race-based discrimination policies, lower fuel prices and fight corruption in a policy manifesto ahead of March 8 polls.

Anwar, who was deputy prime minister until being sacked and jailed in 1998, said long-running policies favouring majority Malays had only benefited cronies of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

"The New Economic Policy has been abused to enrich the family of UMNO leaders and their cronies," said Anwar who is campaigning for the Keadilan formally led by his wife.

"If you really want to deal with the issue of poverty, why can't we just say we have an affirmative action policy helping the poor and the marginalised. It should not be racially based."

Malaysia has pursued an affirmative action programme for Malays and indigenous groups known as "bumiputras" since the 1970s to close a wealth gap with the minority Chinese community.

However, it has been criticised for failing to pull a large number of Muslim Malays out of poverty, and of ignoring the minority ethnic Indian community, which is disadvantaged.

The manifesto entitled "A New Dawn for Malaysia," centred on battling rising inflation, which has triggered public anger and rare public protests as the prices of food and fuel edge higher.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said the government cannot afford to continue spending 43.4 billion ringgit ($13.5 billion) annually to subsidise essential items.