Anwar Ibrahim has survived a year as prime minister, but there is no cause for celebrations just yet, in Putrajaya.
The PM’s own political life may be safe for now, but for how long will this last?
He has to constantly look over his shoulder to see if his back is safe and that no-one is plotting to get rid of him and his coalition.
He may think that he and his party are popular with the rakyat, but when will he realise that he is in power only because the majority of the nation resent and despise the Green Wave more?
He may claim that the rakyat should be thankful that the nation finally has political stability, but what use is that if the nation’s fiscal policies do not help the starving and suffering rakyat who are struggling to manage in the current cost of living crisis?
On top of all his flaws, he has just added another target on his back by denying the opposition the much needed Constituency Development Funds (CDF) that should have been given equally to all MPs regardless of their support for, or against the government of the day.
The country faces numerous issues, his personal approval rating has dropped, the nation believes that he has taken Malaysia in the wrong direction, food shortages with staples like rice are in short supply and expensive.
To make matters worse, it appears as if he is more comfortable overseas, where he is seen talking to governments, big corporations and reporters whilst at home, many communities are crying out for his attention to solve many matters.
Having met the powerful heads of various big corporations, he told a highly unconvinced public on his return home that he has secured hundreds of billions of ringgit in investments.
What do the public care as these claims are mere signed Memorandums of Understanding? No one will believe him until the investments translate into money for them, when the projects finally get off the ground.
Some people may consider his working for no wages as a noble act, but he probably offsets the lack of monthly remunerations with a generous allowance for his overseas trips.
The rakyat can’t fathom why an extensive entourage must accompany Anwar on these overseas trips.
The convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak was bad, but Anwar is proving to be worse!
Are these free all-expenses jollies funded by the taxpayers one of the many ways of rewarding those who swear their allegiance and loyalty to him? When will he tell parliament how much these trips have cost the taxpayers?
Anwar’s election manifesto and campaign was on an anti-corruption footing, but it makes a mockery of him when an allegedly corrupt president of Umno-Baru was made his deputy.
Instead of steadily rolling out the reforms promised before the last election, he has reneged on these changes. He may claim that reforms take time, but if he does not act quickly he will be kicked out in GE16.
Extending the tenure of the head of the MACC, Azam Baki, was another insult to the rakyat.
After the exposé of a few million ringgit of shares in his name, Azam managed to wriggle his way out of this messy revelation by claiming that the shares were actually his brother’s. The rakyat remain unconvinced.
Anwar’s Madani administration appears to be no different from previous Umno-Baru government with its draconian laws.
What or who is he trying to please, when LGBT-themed watches are confiscated from a shop? What happened to freedom of expression when websites of various individuals are blocked and critics of his administration are sued or arrested?
Anwar does not look as if he has successfully dislodged his Umno-Baru genetic make-up.
When his daughter Nurul Izzah was made an adviser in the finance ministry, he denied the charge of nepotism.
He is a hypocrite because the high standards that he set on others do not appear to apply to him.
The rising public anger finally caused him to remove her from the ministry.
Does Anwar think the public are so gullible? With a daughter guarding her father’s interests, she can easily control who gets to see her father and who is not allowed. Making a family member his gatekeeper is not a healthy move.
Many of his pre-election promises remain unfulfilled.
No one expects him to undo six decades of the nation’s mismanagement, the terrible handling of the economy and failure to unite the diverse people of Malaysia, in just one year, but within months of moving into Putrajaya, he was beginning to show his old Umno-Baru genetic traits.
He has only himself to blame when he installs weak and incompetent people to head various ministries.
The Minister of Education lurches from one disaster to another.
The Malaysian education needs a complete overhaul, but all the minister can do is to appease the majority Malay/Muslims in the country. She lacks leadership qualities!
Anwar’s mixed messages continue to confuse people. One minute he wants us to write official letters only in Malay, then in another sentence he wants us to promote the use of English.
If Anwar does not have a major cabinet reshuffle soon to get rid of the clueless, highly emotional and incompetent ministers, the Madani administration will be short-lived.
Over to you, Anwar!
Source:
(Mariam Mokhtar is a Freelance Writer.)
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