By Niza Shimi
The myth of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s prowess as Malaysia’s newly minted 10th Prime Minister (PM10) is best encapsulated by egg jokes. After his swearing-in by the King on November 24, 2022, the egg shortage that plagued Malaysia was seemingly ended.
The social media was awash with postings on eggs “flooding” retailers that had bare shelves just before the general elections. One of the first things Anwar did as PM10 was to thank the egg suppliers for their "egg-cellent" work.
More puns about eggs began appearing. In Bahasa Melayu, when a person is not manly or brave enough, he (never a she) is accused of being “tak ada telur” (Literally, no balls).
During his intense campaign, Anwar himself caused laughter when he questioned, "This country gained independence decades ago, yet we don't even have eggs now. The same goes for UMNO (United Malays National Organisation), BN (Barisan Nasional) and PAS (Parti Islam SeMalaysia), they don't even have their own 'eggs'."
But the tables have been turned and now that Anwar presides over a Unity Government with the same people (aside from PAS) he joked about, he could very well be like Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall balancing his “eggs”, if you know what I mean.
It’s been a long journey for Anwar and it didn’t come easy, even at the eleventh hour.
After five days of political impasse, the New Straits Times (NST) described it as “one of the most dramatic elections in Malaysia's history, after no party managed to secure a majority to form a government for the first time since independence in 1957."
Malaysia never had a hung parliament before. Perhaps GE15 is an indication of what will become a norm, that no major political party will dominate at the polls.
Since the fall of BN in GE14, the nation has faced political turbulence and the changing of PMs as a result of political gamesmanship. Will there be national reconciliation or will it be a case of musical chairs/seats? Although the anti hopping law was said would prevent individual politicians, it doesn't prevent political parties from changing allegiance.
Anwar’s ascent as PM10 is conditional. He is to lead a Unity Government as decreed by the King. This is unheard of in nation's history and there were a lot of explainers published to prepare Malaysians to accept the compromise.
The Star explained it well, “A unity government is a unique power-sharing structure that is formed when no single bloc gains a sufficient majority to form a government.” The fact remains, Anwar's party Pakatan Harapan (PH) did not win an outright majority.
The idea for a Unity Government was actually mooted by, now finally retired, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he was PM7 as a way out of the country’s political instability. But the infamous Sheraton Move put an end to that proposal.
Malaysia now joins other countries that had been under a unity government including United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Anwar needs to remember that his hold on power is precarious and he needs to tread cautiously, much like Humpty Dumpty. Already, Perikatan Nasional and PAS have officially pulled out of the Unity Government. Does that mean that we have a disunity government now?
If you recall, Humpty Dumpty is a character in an English nursery rhyme often portrayed as a humanised egg-shaped figure.
The nursery rhyme goes; Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again.
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