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At present Malaysia’s GDP stands at over US$13,000. 4-years of solid growth will see GDP touch US$20,000 — taking Malaysia to the verge of being a developed nation.

Their vision does not seem conducive to creating a stable and prosperous Malaysia but many Malaysians clearly subscribe to this vision. This is the challenge confronting Anwar and every Malaysian.

It’s a tough challenge for any govt. Let alone a motley ruling coalition barely commands a majority in Parliament. Led  by 75-yo Anwar.

The clock is really ticking for the Malaysia PM. we hope he manages to survive and thrive but for this to happen it will need every bit of support from its neighbours — including Singapore — to make this work.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/opinion/2...ysia/42261

It appears that for now he has Barisan Nasional and GPS, the major political grouping. This gives him the seats he needs to make policy decisions but there will have to be compromises as he accommodates his various allies. While opposition he faces a confident Perikatan Nasional, coalition of Islamist PAS and Malay-centric Bersatu. Leaders from both parties have said they will place the interest of Islam and the Malay community above all emerged as a huge political force in Malaysia. PAS which has long been confined to strongholds in the north east of the peninsula is now the single largest party in Parliament winning 49 seats in its own right.

This set-up, therefore, from the perspective of non-Malaysians does not look too promising. It have a conservative Islamic and Malay-oriented Opposition and a govt which consists heavily of minority parties. 

The Chinese-dominated DAP is Pakatan Harapan’s largest constituent party. Meanwhile Anwar now clearly stands for a multicultural Malaysia, country is evidently polarised along racial and religious lines.

Islamist and Malay-centric parties appear to be growing more powerful and just waiting to seize power.

I was recently in Kuala Lumpur and it was remarkable how multicultural and vibrant the city felt. It seemed like the metropolis was coming into its own as a regional centre and yet the elections have made clear that the cities — KL, Ipoh, Penang, Johor Bahru — are outliers in a country that in many respects sees itself as deeply islamic, conservative and Malay. .

Just a few weeks ago I was gung ho about Malaysia. Even with the recent political instablitiy, the country’s economy had shown strong growth.

I figured that with a clear mandate a new government would only speed up growth and progress, finally pushing Malaysia into the ranks of the world’s developed nations.

At present Malaysia’s GDP stands at over US$13,000. Four years of solid growth will see GDP touch US$20,000 — taking Malaysia to the verge of being a developed nation.

Fundamentally the country is blessed with an extremely strong and broad based economy and considerable human talent but with all this, I would now hesitate to invest in a country where PAS is the single largest political party.

Their vision does not seem conducive to creating a stable and prosperous Malaysia but many Malaysians clearly subscribe to this vision.

This is the challenge confronting Anwar and every Malaysian who really believes in Malaysia. They need to convince their fellow countrymen that a multicultural Malaysia with some modicum of meritocracy is desirable. Because of the failings of previous govts, many see multiculturalism and tolerance as a cover for corruption and cronyism.

Anwar govt has to prove multiculturalism is compatible with good governance and that it can bring about development for all and mitigate corruption. He and his allies will need to show results fast.

It’s a tough challenge for Anwar govt. Let alone a motley ruling coalition that barely commands a majority in Parliament. Led by a man now 75 years old.

The clock is really ticking for Malaysia we all know. Let hope it manages to survive and thrive but for this to happen it will need every bit of support from its neighbours — including Singapore — to make this 

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