Anwar’s reformasi: ‘setting Malaysia back on the right path’
Some scribblings from the hospital bed under the influence……………..
Madani in review
Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government now has regime status, with its authoritarian, come totalitarian nuances. There is no grassroots input into policy and governance, its just control of the people from above. As we have just seen, even cabinet ministers can be hauled off to the police, if they show any public disagreement with regime policies.
In retrospect, Anwar had always hinted over the last 25 years what his regime would be really like. Reformasi in Indonesian (according to Google) means reform. We all remember the Indonesian reformasi in 1998, leading to the demise of the Suharto regime.
However, once again Google translates reformasi in Malay to mean reformation in English. Reformation is about making changes to something, with the intention of setting things back on the right path.
So, what is the right path? Looking at action, rather than rhetoric will tell us the truth.
Malaysia back on the right path
Anwar gave a very chilly Merdeka speech when he said “We will use all of our power and strength, if insufficient, we will amend (laws), add on legal provisions, take action so that the country remains safe and can rise as a nation in the region and the world.”
The re-imposition of the 3Rs (Race, Religion & Royalty) discussion taboo from a past May 13, 1969 era, has set Malaysia clearly on the path towards totalitarianism. This has precipitated the energetic use of the Sedition Act, police intimidation, and MCMC Act against critics of the government.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been utilising 3rd party DNS blocking of websites critical of the government secretly for the last year, the writer’s Substack being one of the casualties. The police have been raiding the homes of critics and intimidated them, through police media statements. This deems the accused as guilty by accusation before any investigations or defences are provided.
The minister of communications Fahmi Fadzil’s statement that if you criticize me, “a radio car will be waiting outside your house”, has installed fear into Malaysians.
Today, most of the media practices self-censorship. They have moved away from being news organizations, and focused upon disseminating government propaganda. There is evidence that some online news portals are receiving government funds, either directly or through third parties.
The only brave online news portals now are Malaysiakini, after some to their journalists were called in by police, Malaysia Now, and the PAS portal Harakah.
Reformasi is alive and well
Whoever coined the term ‘reformati” (reform is dead) is wrong. There have been plenty of radical changes made. Its only that these changes are not the ones that the Rakyat had anticipated.
Anwar’s newly appointed head of the civil service passed over dozens of more senior and qualified candidates. Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar just announced a purge of the top echelons of the civil service across most ministries, empowering Anwar tremendously. Anwar now has effective control of ‘the real government’, the bureaucracy. The heads of ministries are actually more important than the respective cabinet ministers themselves.
Upon coming to power in November 2022, Anwar has made countless political appointments to Government Linked Companies (GLCs), maintained government sanctioned monopolies, and strengthened the position of GLCs. There is little market reform, and crony companies are still in the hands of the same group within the elites, as before.
So much for secular government
The power of the Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) has been increased, advising the executive on economic policy, and placing personnel in all ministerial offices. The government is ignoring community objections.
Perhaps the most important empowering move by JAKIM is making Halal certificates compulsory for all restaurants and stalls. This gives JAKIM massive power over the retail food sector, where checks and balances against potential corruption have not been discussed.
The economy is still the elephant in the room
The most important issue for the Anwar regime is the economy. Second quarter 2024 GDP growth results indicate a buoyant economy. However, on the ground many families are still financially suffering from MCO restrictions during the Covid pandemic. There might be strong economic growth but it may not be uniform across the economy, where the informal sector is not accurately measured. Any increasing exports and foreign direct investment doesn’t necessarily enhance the wellbeing of households.
What’s is important is the bottom line for the Rakyat (people). Can households afford to live? Can they save? Can they get acceptable jobs? This is ultimately how people will judge Anwar. Not his support for Palestine or how Islamic the government is.
We live in an age where statistics don’t always match reality on the ground for some reason.
There are dark clouds lurking over the economic horizon. A potential recession internationally will have consequences for Malaysia. Events outside Malaysia’s control will heavily influence the health of the economy.
National Public debt
Anwar inherited high public debt from spending during the Covid pandemic. In his first year, spending has increased to record levels. Public debt now stands at RM 1.5 trillion. This doesn’t count credit guarantees given out to GLCs, and pension liabilities.
For the 2024 budget, debt service charges amount to RM 49.8 billion or 12.6 percent of aggregate budget spending. The recent rises in civil service salaries will add RM 10 billion to the budget deficit.
Making the right move on BRICS
Malaysia faces a multi-polar world, where the attachment to only one part could be detrimental to national interests. Anwar’s embracing of BRICS sets the nation on track with the growing momentum of nations joining BRICS. BRICS is aiming to create an alternative international trade system, which Malaysia must tap into. The Bridge and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure provides new trade routes and potential markets, and trading opportunities.
This is to be commended.
The South China Sea
The South China Sea situation will be very challenging. China is beginning to make its presence felt all around the nine (now ten) dash line. This goes over Malaysia’s EEZ and continental shelf. The latest diplomatic note from China to Malaysia’s Beijing Embassy just shows how sensitive the issue is in the South China Sea.
Good diplomatic relations with China doesn’t solve issues on the South China Sea. ASEAN doesn’t have any unified voice on the issue. With Malaysia chairing ASEAN next year, 2025 will be areal diplomatic test for Anwar.
Back to square one: Leadership not truthful
Very early into the new administration, Malaysians witnessed the secrecy around Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah, who had just lost the Permatang Puah seat in the recent general election, appointed as a consultant/advisor to the ministry of finance. The public only learnt of the appointment, after Nurul had been in the position over a month. To tame down public criticism, Anwar announced that Nurul was working for the ministry of finance on a pro-bono basis.
More recently, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim claimed that anyone criticizing the government over the Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) sale of shares to GIP, a subsidiary of BlackRock was “more Hamas than Hamas.” Anwar claimed he had discussed the issue with the Hamas leadership, who found it to be a non-issue, even though BlackRock has strong ties with the Israeli military.
However, PN leader Muhyiddin Yassin accused Anwar of lying as Hamas issued a statement on its site backing Israel’s Zionist stance.
Comments like ‘poverty has been eradicated in Kuala Lumpur’, drew scepticism from the public, and the government is forced to choose between upgrading airports or hospitals don’t enhance the credentials of the Madani government.
One more example is the recent statement by Anwar that the government will remove barriers for non-Malays furthering their studies in matriculation programmes, with the 90 percent Bumiputera quota maintained. This according to Lawyers for Liberty spokesman Zaid Malek is not the progressive decision it’s made out to be because it still maintains the structural racism embedded in the education system.
Where is Malaysia now?
There were high hopes that after 25 years, Anwar Ibrahim would begin to reform the government, after he became prime minister. However, there are a number of telltale signs showing the government is heading towards much more authoritarian, if not totalitarian nature.
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