Anwar Ibrahim waited 24 years to be PM, but now, some can’t wait for him to go.
In one month’s time, he will have been Malaysia’s prime minister for two years. Days after he took control of the nation, Malaysians are probably more divided than ever.
The irony is that he calls his administration a “Unity Government” which comprises a coalition with the most corrupt political party Malaysia has known and which was successfully toppled at GE-15. However, we are told he (Anwar) was ‘forced’ to team up with this thuggish party because of political survival (his) and “political stability” (of the nation).
The other irony is that like previous PMs, he does not appear to want to unite the people but divide them. His mentor was former PM, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In Malaysia, it’s easy to divide the diverse population. Race, religion, and class (elites and ‘orang ada kebel ke atas‘ versus the ordinary folk) are used as instruments of division.
So, why won’t he be different? He can’t.
Just like other PMs, the lust for power is too strong. Moreover, the pull factors of race, religion and class are a tried and tested formula to hang on to power.
The previous king named Anwar as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister on 24 November and when he took his oath of office, was watched by the controversial parliamentary Speaker, the turncoat Azhar Harun.
Ten days after becoming PM, Zahid Hamidi, the president of Umno-Baru, who was himself bogged down with 47 charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, was made Anwar’s deputy.
The move brings into question Anwar’s election promise to fight corruption.
So where did Anwar go wrong? There isn’t just one reason, but several.
For a start, Anwar suffers from selective listening. He listens only to himself and the “Yes” men who surround him. They only tell him what he wants to hear, so it is impossible for Anwar to gauge the depth of feeling the rakyat have for him, especially if he is not aware of what is happening on the ground.
Although his public appearances are akin to a superstar on stage, Anwar is basically insecure. Has he been conditioned by the premiership being snatched away before?
Should we lower our expectations of him? He could rebuild our trust and confidence, by working on three major opportunities before the next election (GE-16); but will he?
The first of these is to work on the last election’s manifesto. However, one of the first failures was the anti-corruption priority.
Having a deputy PM who is allegedly corrupt reminds us of the hypocrisy of the entire Umno-Baru cabinet which swore that the convicted felon, Najib Abdul Razak was innocent of the 1MDB wrongdoings and the Arab prince donation was not a fairy tale. This Unity Government’s hypocrisy stinks to high heaven.
The second is to work on the narrative for the 2 Rs, but thus far Anwar has only pandered to the ultra-Malays and Muslims.
After one year of the Unity Government, does anyone think that there is a clear distinction between PN’s Green Wave and the Madani Green Wave?
Anwar accomplished what PAS and Bersatu wanted to be had they won GE-15 outright.
He is aware that his supporters will not drop him because their bogeyman is the Green Wave. Ironically, the Malay bogeyman is the DAP.
Malaysia’s tragedy is that Anwar’s supporters are equally insecure and desperate, so they tolerate his flaws. They will say, “If not Anwar then who?” or “Do you want a Green Wave government?” Are they aware the Constitution does not say that a Malay or Muslim must be PM?
The third opportunity is the economy. However, Anwar cannot make major inroads into the economy if he refuses to deal with the 2R problem. Anything that is ‘touched’ by the influence of the 2Rs is doomed. The lop-sided NEP, the affirmative action policies, the lack of meritocracy, the quota system in education, and the desire to out-Islamicise PAS. The 2Rs hold us back.
When he was sacked by former PM, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in 1998, Anwar rebranded himself as the leader of the ‘reformasi’ movement. Fast forward to 2023, where are the promised reforms?
“Time, give him time,” his supporters demand, but a few weeks into his rule, new doubts were beginning to emerge.
“He cannot undo what took decades to fester”, they add, but how do you explain some of the things that he did?
He gave Jakim more muscle and a financial boost, despite knowing how we despise Jakim for micro-managing both Muslim and non-Muslim lives.
Some people said that the ministers, MPs and departmental heads had no choice but to follow Anwar’s orders. Did you notice anyone resigning out of a point of principle?
For Anwar, election day and his re-election prospects loom large in all his calculations. The Indian student who solicited his views about meritocracy and quotas in education was rebuffed several times.
He was coarse and abrupt and told her that abolishing the quota system would not be good for elections.
Much as we’d like to give him a chance to restore stability in this country, his arrogance with the student suggests that he has no desire to put the long-term interests of the country in front of the short-term interests of his party, or himself.
Members of the rakyat who voted for him should also shoulder some blame.
When I asked someone why he thought Anwar should be made PM, he said, “He went to jail for us and suffered on our behalf. He was deprived of his family and freedom, just for us. He deserves to be PM.”
This ‘substitutional atonement’ reminds one of a certain religious figure. Why should a period of incarceration be sufficient justification for the premiership? Otherwise, we’d have convicts running the country. Ironically, we do, but he’s still in Kajang.
When Nurul Izzah was sneaked into the Finance Ministry as a Special Adviser, Anwar acted as if was not guilty of nepotism.
It was also to remind us to “Do as I say, but not as I do.” Anwar failed to uphold the standards that he demanded from others.
Malaysians love freebies including a PM who will serve for free. How do we value the work of the person who claims that his time and effort are not worth anything?
If his performance deteriorates, some will be unwilling to sack him because who else will work for free? These people have fallen into the false economy trap, which in the long run costs more.
Anwar can avoid a humiliating exit if he were to groom a successor. Not family members, but younger able politicians of any colour or creed to gain experience to lead. We, and not any third party, will decide who becomes our next PM at GE-16.
Please don’t give the excuse which says, “If not Anwar then who?”
So, why don’t you ask him (Anwar) why the party cannot decide on a successor or a few potential candidates whom we can judge and who will be allowed to learn the ropes and learn about leadership instead of just being “yes” men or women? – Rebuilding Malaysia