To beat Malaysia’s ‘green wave’, Anwar’s unity government must do more for struggling Malays

Anwar’s multiracial coalition government has shifted to the right in an effort to defend Malay conservative values
Facing external risks like the Ukraine war, and a slumping currency due to US rate hikes, many Malays believe Anwar’s government should be doing more to help them

Joseph Sipalan

Published: 10:30am, 18 Aug 2023

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Following Malaysia’s recent state polls, there has been abundant analysis of how the country’s majority ethnic Malays are increasingly taken in by the Malay nationalist rhetoric peddled by the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, which made significant gains in stronghold areas of parties linked to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.

The argument for a more conservative tilt among the country’s Malay-Muslims – who account for more than 60 per cent of Malaysia’s 32 million population – appears to be backed by the election results.

PN, riding on ethno-religious posturing and promises of broad economic aid, won 146 of 245 seats across the six states in the peninsula that went to polls.

A woman carries her ballot before casting her vote during the state election at a polling station in Malaysia’s Selangor state on August 12. Photo: AFP

All but a handful of seats won by PN were Malay-majority seats, including in Selangor and Penang, which are long-time strongholds of Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

PN chairman and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said at a post-election news conference that this was a sign of the people’s rejection of Anwar’s unity government, and proof that his coalition had become the preferred choice among Malays seeking a political platform to represent their identity and rights.

But was it really a revolt by Malays against Anwar and his nine-month-old administration, which the opposition claim is being led by the nose by the prime minister’s Chinese-dominated partners in the DAP?

A closer look at the numbers shows a continuation of the trend seen in last November’s general election, when Malay voters in the peninsula triggered a “green wave” – the party colour of PN component PAS – that gave the opposition a formidable minority in parliament.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim casts his ballot at a polling station in the Penang State election on August 12. Photo: dpa

But the green wave arose even before there were official discussions to create Anwar’s unity government, which, at the king’s behest, brought together the prime minister’s allies and long-time rivals in the former ruling Umno party.

While there was a distinctly racial slant in November’s polls, much of it could be attributed to dissent among Malays over the perceived failure by the once-powerful Umno over its six decades in power to protect the community’s rights and build economic resilience, as many struggled with the dual health and economic crises caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The union between PAS and the Bersatu party led by Muhyiddin, who spent billions in cash aid and allowed pension fund withdrawals in his 17 months in power during the pandemic, appeared to be the most palatable alternative to Umno.

To stem the tide of the green wave, Anwar’s multiracial administration – widely regarded as more socially progressive – took a noticeable turn towards the right in what was seen as an effort to outdo PAS in defending Malay conservative values.

In July, the federal government shut down a three-day music festival after its opening night when the frontman of British band The 1975 kissed his bassist on stage. The following month, officials banned a line of pride-themed watches by Swiss watchmaker Swatch.

But none of that seemed to matter to Malay voters during the two-week campaign that preceded Saturday’s polls, especially among those who Anwar and his political strategists were hoping to poach from the other side of the divide.

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Regardless of allegiances, economic survival was the common theme among Malay voters during each side’s campaign stops.

While some understood the government could do little to address the external risks from the Ukraine war and pressure on the ringgit currency from the US Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes, many felt that Anwar’s government was simply not doing enough to help them.

Rather than trying to beat PAS – and by extension PN – at their own game, perhaps Anwar’s administration should consider going down the long but necessary path of economic reforms, which look to be a better bet to convert at least some Malay support by the time the next general election is called by 2027.

Joseph Sipalan is a correspondent at the Post’s Asia desk.