Is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as truly secure in his grip on power as the image he projects to the world?
No doubt, to those who have followed his chequered personal and political journey, the man does seem to possess a rare gift of grit and drive which has seen him climb to the very apex of power in this country. All this, despite enduring a great deal of pain and shame while languishing in prison for years.
However, his recent failure to push through two landmark Bills in parliament may have finally exposed his less-than-firm hold on power. With the much hyped Bill to limit the prime minister's tenure to 10 years hitting a brick wall – and another one to separate the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor deferred – serious question marks have now emerged over his actual authority on proceedings in the country.
On paper Anwar may enjoy an impressive two-third majority support in parliament, but in reality, isn't there clear dissent even from within his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition – as was evident from the “less-than-inspiring” response to the tabling of the two Bills?
Wasn't it to some extent, an indirect “vote of no confidence"…?
Not only that, wouldn't his failure to rein in the ongoing furore over the so-called “illegal” houses of worship have further widened the rift with the disgruntled Indian community? In that regard, the warning signs were already there in some past by-elections – most notably in Sungai Bakap in 2024 – where the PH candidate lost to the opposition Perikatan Nasional, reportedly due to a significant percentage of Chinese and Indian voters not turning out to vote.
Note: Analysts had estimated a drop in turnout of between 20% and 43% among Chinese voters, and between 31% and 52% among Indian voters, signalling the disengagement of PH’s political base.
Wasn't the Sungai Bakap by-election outcome an “advanced warning signal” to PMX?
True, it can no longer be denied that Anwar is feeling the heat to deliver the promised reforms to retain vital support from minority groups. However, critics will contend that there is also resistance to some of the reforms, such as the Urban Renewal Act (URA), from broad segments of the Malay-Muslim majority – a key demographic whom he has been vigorously courting, but with limited success.
The recent revelation of the so-called “Bangkok Move” is also bound to have been a real dampener to him as it implicated his close ally Zahid Hamidi – the current UMNO president. In spite of the latter's public declaration, especially during the recent general assembly, that the nationalist party will support the unity government until the next general election, there seems to be no guarantee that it will not pivot to PAS, if need be.
Add to that, the UMNO president's “mollycoddling” of its firebrand Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh would have given more than enough hint to many that its pact with PH is not cast in stone. Furthermore, the grassroots sentiment in UMNO is also believed to be increasingly leaning toward a Malay-Muslim political collaboration.
In fact, critics would argue that the biggest stumbling block to PMX’s reform plans may well be the internal resistance from UMNO – particularly its perceived aversion to revamping the beleaguered Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
There can be no doubt too that the decision to extend its embattled chief's tenure despite his alleged involvement in shady “shares dabbling” and the more serious accusation of his agency acting as a “corporate Mafia” would have further dented Anwar's credibility as a genuine reformist.
The twin controversies are expected to trigger a massive loss of support from the ethnic Chinese minority – the main support base for his PH coalition. In fact, DAP even risks being decimated at the ballot box if PMX fails to address them satisfactorily. The party had earlier given him the deadline up to July 2026 for significant reforms to be implemented while calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the alleged wrongdoings. Yet, as the clock ticks away, nothing truly tangible seems to be forthcoming.
Truth be told, Anwar's choice of a new Attorney General earlier also drew the ire of electoral reform group BERSIH, as did his decision not to extend the contract of the revered ex-Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat which understandably would have left many of his own supporters disillusioned.
To his credit, Anwar’s administration has rolled out a flurry of initiatives to mitigate the cost of living pressures, such as the SARA aid program and the BUDI95 petrol subsidy. Yet, a sense of dissatisfaction prevails – not just among the B40, but more acutely, the M40 middle class.
Furthermore, PMX also appears to be trapped in a Catch-22 situation, with Sarawak and Sabah becoming increasingly assertive of their rights under MA63 – as evidenced by the ongoing Petros-Petronas dispute and the latter’s insistence on its 40% revenue entitlement.
After all, for decades, successive administrations in Putrajaya have been perceived to have treated the two resource-rich states as their “fixed deposit.” Given that history, would it surprise anyone if there is resentment among some of Anwar's own unity government allies, including UMNO, over the newfound “powers” enjoyed by the erstwhile, subservient Borneans?
As it stands, even loyal supporters of his coalition have been left wondering if PMX is now driven purely by survival instincts. If so, the question remains: is he any different from the country's past leaders, resorting to patronage, populism, and alleged selective prosecution - just to hang on to power?
A “Messiah” – or Just Another Machiavellian Leader?
Ironically, the latest ominous “warning shot” that his time may be drawing to a close seemed to have been fired from within his own party – by the well-respected Hassan Karim. Not for the first time, the straight-talking Pasir Gudang MP has publicly admonished Anwar; but this time, the stakes may be significantly higher.
In that context, if the Prime Minister remains adamant and continues to turn a deaf ear to the growing public outcry against MACC – the supposed gatekeepers of the country's integrity – he risks his very legitimacy as the head of government. Will that grim judgement finally become a reality in the upcoming GE16 – where he and his entire PH “fleet” face the possibility of sinking en masse?
Main information source: The Edge Malaysia, Malaysiakini, The Vibes and NST.
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