Malaysian Unity Government's Power was Retained but Constrained in 2023

Picture: East Asia Forum

In an article by East Asia Forum, Francis Hutchinson reports Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s progress in economic reforms and fading popularity among Malaysians since his administration began in late 2022.

Despite an initial flurry of measures to bolster his mandate in late 2022 and early 2023 — such as tabling a motion of confidence in parliament, hammering out a memorandum of understanding between his coalition partners and strategically allocating cabinet positions — at first there was little in the way of tangible policy outcomes. Anwar did not visibly leverage his time in opposition to develop a concrete plan of action, nor were many experienced cabinet members from the first Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration from 2018–2020 reappointed. There were few early deliverables beyond Malaysia Madani, an alluring but nebulous governance strategy inspired by prosperity, social justice and democracy.

As the cabinet ministers gained momentum, policy frameworks were rolled out in the second half of 2023, such as the Madani Economy framework, the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review. While more detailed policies were welcome, much of the substance of these plans was generated by civil servants with input from line agencies and did not directly align with Malaysia Madani’s lofty commitments to concepts such as respect, care and compassion.