Newly-appointed Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will face many challenges in the coming days, but accusations that he is a pro-Malay leader are unfounded, especially as he leads a unity government.
Although a founding member of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), and later a Cabinet minister with Umno, Anwar has become an inclusive leader since being sacked by the party in 1998.
“People keep bringing up his association with ABIM, but that was a lifetime ago,” said political analyst Associate Professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk.
“If we look at his career after leaving Umno, he has shown that he is an inclusive leader and is the right man to lead this so-called unity government.
“His party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) has many non-Malay MPs, while the bulk of DAP’s MPs are also non-Malays.
“So, people should stop trying to tarnish his reputation that he is only for the Malays. He has been very accommodating to everyone.”
Founded in 1971, ABIM is a Muslim youth movement, whose goal is to set up a comprehensive Islamic movement to realise Islamic ideals. It is influenced by the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. Anwar served as president between 1974 and 1982. The movement still exists today.
In his first press conference as prime minister last night, Anwar said “Malaysia will be for all Malaysians.”
The Tambun MP pledged to safeguard the rights of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.
“I want to stress that I am the prime minister for Malaysians of all races so that we can unite the country as one,” he said.
Azeem, director of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, said Anwar faces a tough few weeks in office, as he needs to table and pass Budget 2023 by Dec 31.
He said Anwar needs to make the right decision when naming his Cabinet, and the person picked as Finance Minister would be crucial.
“Anwar’s big test is to get the budget approved. This is no longer the 1990s when Malaysia was an Asian economic powerhouse.
“Back then, we had a surplus budget, but that has not happened since 1997.
“Government spending has also increased.”
Azeem admitted that Anwar’s first budget would be closely scrutinised and would not contain as many “goodies” as the one tabled under Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration.
He said Anwar would be unable to hand out many ‘presents’, as he has to be pragmatic and think about the future, as a global recession looms.
Sources within the Finance Ministry told Twentytwo13 that the new government must ensure Budget 2023 is approved by December.
“The nation depends on the Budget. Everything will be affected if it’s not approved by Dec 31, including the salaries of civil servants for January 2023,” a source from the ministry said.
“Other implications of a delay will include projects being affected, to contractors not being paid.”
As the direction and policies of Anwar’s government will differ from the previous administration’s, it is possible that the budget tabled earlier would have to be revamped.
While it usually takes at least six months to prepare a budget, what needs to be done now is to re-map the budget that had been tabled, in line with the direction and policies of the new government.
“The budget is prepared by a team set up by the Finance Ministry. It cuts across divisions and ministries, state governments, the private sector, and civil society organisations.”
Asked if a new budget could be prepared in less than a month, the source added: “We have to make sure it can be done, even if it means we have only two or three weeks.”
Budget 2023, with an allocation of RM372.3 billion was tabled by former Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on Oct 7.
It lived up to expectations of being an election budget. While there were many perks and goodies, most of them offered short-term benefits.
Experts then said that Budget 2023 did not address the issue of financing. There was no mention of any tax changes, except for tax exemptions. Economists and analysts described it as an expenditure, instead of a revenue budget.
Separately, Azeem said all political parties needed to unite and let Malaysia heal after two years of political instability.
He added that former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s claims that he, and not Anwar, should be in the top seat in Putrajaya, should not be entertained, as the Agong and the other Malay rulers had made their decision.
Anwar, had in his press conference, said he would test his majority in Parliament through a vote of confidence when the Dewan Rakyat convenes on Dec 19.
“If Muhyiddin thinks he has enough support, he can always table a vote of no confidence against Anwar in Parliament,” Azeem said.
“Muhyiddin should reveal who signed the SDs (statutory declarations) supporting him. We need that transparency so that the voters know who they are,” he added.