By Niza Shimi
Perhaps it’s because there’s going to be a biopic movie about him coming out in 2023, that I can’t help but think the 10th Prime Minister (PM10) of Malaysia Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is starring in his own reality show.
He seems always to be picture perfect. Of course, he is being photographed from every angle imaginable. Then there’s that epic photo frame of him standing on the step of the car door, waving to an adoring crowd.
It’s all too choreographed and planned to be candid and spontaneous. But then again, he has been in the limelight ever since his student days. He is used to the attention, always camera ready and the crowd is easy to please.
But it’s his New Year message (amanat/address) that was telecast live from the Putrajaya Mosque that seemed oddly out of place. He even said he didn’t need to apologise for doing so (speaking from the mosque) as Islam is the official religion. Apologise to whom?
It was his first New Year’s Eve message to the nation. As previous PMs would have done it, it would be a recorded message broadcast on the day via local radio, and television. But PM10 does things differently. Anwar delivered it live from a mosque and it was livestreamed on all social media channels.
But what was his message about? Was it only for Muslims? Apparently, from what I understand, it was a reminder for Muslims that Malaysia includes other races and religions. Did he imply that Muslims have to play fair? I thought we always have.
Perhaps it was a damage control move. Putrajaya was once a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold. It fell to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. Giant slayer Datuk Radzi Jidin, former Minister of Education, beat United Malay's National Organisation strongman Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
Putrajaya is the seat of the government of Malaysia. It must be important for PM10 to assert his authority over the constituency that rejected his Pakatan Harapan coalition that later formed the Unity Government with BN after the 15th general elections (GE15).
What better way than to deliver the New Year’s message from the mosque where civil servants living in Putrajaya congregate, presumably. It’s unclear if Radzi or other PN members were present. The Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several ministers were in attendance.
Whatever the motive, it sure seems more like a reality TV show at times. The PM who is a versatile politician and can sing any tune is transformed into a religious persona. Instead of a New Year’s Eve song and fireworks celebration, he enjoins prayers. That is commendable.
But the message he tried to convey is odd. He talked about rebuilding the economy through international trade. He talked about political stability. He talked about service lillahi ta’ala (for the sake of Allah). He talked about anjakan paradigma or paradigm shift, a phrase frequently used during his tenure as DPM in the 1990s.
The gist of his message is somewhat lost in the smattering of Islamic verses and name-dropped scholars. Interestingly, he urged the use of mosques as a centre for da’wah (inviting to Islam), especially among the young. It was vintage Saudara Anwar of his early Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia days.
At the same time, he didn’t waste the opportunity to take pot shots at previous governments and political adversaries. As a New Year’s message, that is rather puzzling. This is not a call for unity, for preparing for the challenges of the global economy type of New Year's message. This message was all about him. That’s the reality.
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