PM10 said in 2018 upon being pardoned by the then Agong, he valued democracy, freedom, liberal ideas, more after he was jailed.
Echoing Nelson Mandela who said `No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails, a nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones’, the ordinary rakyat really have high expectations of Anwar Ibrahim when he was finally named the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia in Nov 2022.
It was stupefying for Anwar to say recently that any promised reforms by the government must be implemented carefully to ensure the people are prepared to embrace the changes.
The ordinary rakyat was hoping that Anwar, now the Prime Minister of the country make reality the reforms that he himself had envisioned for the country 24 years ago which was corruption and cronyism.
They waited 24 years for Anwar – during which time, Anwar went in and released from jail twice - to carry on and implement the reforms he has been talking about after he was sacked as Deputy PM only for him to tell his supporters and the ordinary rakyat that the government must not be hasty in implementing reforms as it needs to consider the repercussions of the changes that are made.
What a total disappointment.
What a letdown from him.
When asked how he is restoring democracy in Malaysia in an interview with Time magazine in Oct 2023, he emphasized rebuilding accountability.
Where is the accountability he preached when the rich and powerful are still perceived by the ordinary rakyat to be controlling and manipulating practically every major aspect of things in this country even after that interview?
The ordinary rakyat is seriously losing faith that reforms will be undertaken at all.
Even Amnesty International in their report state the absence or lack of reforms since Anwar became the Prime Minister.
What are the consequences for the economy and the reforms if he is unable to do so?
Time is ripe for him to take the mantle, step up the challenge again and rise up as the Prime Minister.
Inaction or limited actions for the past 2 years have seriously put into question the credibility and the promises made.
The government’s increasing lack of credibility can be very costly for them.
Majority of the ordinary rakyat now are unable to distinguish between a government intent on reforms and one which simply feigns interest in reforms because this is a precondition for direly needed foreign investments and getting reelected in the next General Election.
Majority of the ordinary rakyat is not able to tell how serious the government really is about the reform process.
They are in the dark about the true objectives of the government or may 'confuse' it with an alternative government whose objectives differ.
Policy decisions are distorted by unrepresentative institutions and excessive influence from the wealthy and well-connected.
Responsiveness to the ordinary rakyat continues from the previous 2 administrations i.e political institutions are profoundly paralyzed and continue to be unresponsive to the ordinary rakyat.
Sharply polarized political parties amongst the ruling coalition of political parties and crazed public rhetoric are tearing our society apart.
A dangerous demagogue, possibly to be released from prison to serve the balance of his term under home detention is threatening our democracy itself.
Or more precisely threatening whatever feeble amount of democracy we currently enjoy.
The ordinary rakyat prays that they don’t get to hear it from the initiator of reforms to say one day in the future that to undo all the corruption and cronyism is impossible.
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