Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim returned to Malaysia on Tuesday night (July 8) to a very different country he left 9 days ago. While Anwar was touring Italy, Spain and attended the BRICS meeting in Brazil, a number of major issues have reached boiling points.
There have been small protests held, with a series of major protests against Anwar, tagged ‘Turun Anwar’ (Anwar step down) organized for the rest of the month. Seven MPs from his own parliamentary group have broken free of party discipline and demanded an RCI.
Anwar has been silent of all of these issues while he was overseas.
While Anwar was at the BRICS summit, Trump sent a letter to the YDPA (the king) stating that Malaysian goods arriving in the US after August 1 would be levied with a 25 percent tariff. That’s 1.0 percent higher after Tengku Zafrul Aziz led a team to Washington to negotiate. All the non-tariff barriers (APs, monopolies, import licenses, and restricted equity rules) that benefit the rich elites have not been eliminated as was promised pre-election, and Trump has pointed that out. Another 10 percent tariff has been levied on top of the 25 percent for Malaysia associating with BRICS.
Rhetoric isn’t going to solve the problem, hard negotiations will. Why was the post of US ambassador vacant during all this time? Malaysian exporters are worried. Malaysian consumers have need to worry as the tariffs will cause even more price hikes and hardship within the community.
Seven PKR MPs led by Rafizi Ramli have called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the selection and appointment of judges. The integrity of the judicial system looks to be compromised when the sitting chief justice has not been either replaced or given an extension. This should have been a smooth process, but looks to have been tampered with by Anwar just at the same time his own immunity case from a civil case involving sexual assault accusations will appear before the court later this month. This doesn’t look like a coincidence. Maybe someone can prove me wrong.
Then the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) which has nothing to do with the selection of judges makes a statement dismissing claims there is any judicial crisis. One must suspect some sort of vested interests here, making the crisis much more profound, than we all thought just a day ago.
How Anwar handles the above issues over the next few days will be paramount to his future as prime minister. Neither deputy prime ministers have come out in support of Anwar at this stage. Why? Isn’t the job of a deputy prime minister to support the boss? Anwar is becoming very isolated as no one in the cabinet has come out in support of him over the last week.
The ‘unity government’ coalition partners are looking on with worry. They were prepared to go the full term with Anwar, but now looking for alternatives. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s offices are almost in lockdown preparing for what, we don’t know.
To say there are no issues inside the cabinet today is just ignoring the signs.
Aggregate economic figures point to all being rosy with the economy. But people aren’t feeling like that. Many are suffering and being ignored. Now the apologists are saying that people must suffer a little for the benefit of the nation. The more astute are asking why the increases in the sales and service tax (SST) but no extra taxes on the rich? Any rate cut made by Bank Negara Malaysia will quickly dispose of the ‘everything is rosy’ narrative. It will show up what was a fraudulent narrative.
Anwar has failed to undertake a cabinet reshuffle for months. The resignation of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad gave him a good excuse. Many ministers have just let down the team very badly, and been just dead weight. They can’t even defend their boss when he is in political trouble. Half the cabinet (the Pakatan Harapan members) have run for the hills and scared to say a word.
Within a few weeks, Anwar could be very embarrassed over the contents of affidavits in the Yusuff Rawther case. If Anwar wins immunity, he would be very stupid to believe the contents of the affidavits would remain sealed. Almost all his time will be taken up with refuting the contents. It will be just like the Najib addendum once again, only more energy sapping for Anwar this time.
Anwar will be a totally ineffective prime minister, when the country needs a real leader to handle the coming economic crisis. There is the 2026 budget in final preparation. Anwar is not just prime minister. But finance minister as well. Malaysia will be without both a prime minister and finance minister.
On paper Anwar has a two-thirds majority in the federal parliament. However, it just isn’t Malaysian political culture to stand up and vote in such motions. That’s why the role of the YDPA is so important. Anwar’s two-thirds majority will just as quickly evaporate as he pledged to bring down both Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak in parliament. We saw how Muhyiddin Yassin fell in 2021.
Political leaders are looking for a sign from the palace Nothing has come. Its going to be very difficult for Anwar to govern as prime minister if no one has confidence in him. This no confidence will initially be covert, but any more scandals will lead to a tipping point that Anwar will not be able to push back upon. To put it another way ‘Anwar is a dead man walking’ prime minister. Its just a matter of time for someone to call out the emperor has no clothes.
Malaysia is now in a period of political uncertainty once again.
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He spent more time outside the country than the problems in the nation! He daughter is the straw that broke the camel back!
With the OPR reduction of 25 basis points yesterday the economic waterfall is just ahead: Inflation will go up and the ringgit will weaken. Race and religion will not be able to save Malaysia on this one.