Charles Santiago said Anwar must move beyond his ethnocentric approach to focus on reforms and address the rakyat’s day-to-day concerns.
The former Klang MP said Anwar’s approach to Islamic issues in a bid to garner Malay support had failed to yield positive results.
He called on the prime minister to focus on reforms that can promote economic growth, control the prices of goods and ensure food security.
“This way, not only will Malay support naturally come to him, but also support from all ethnic communities in Malaysia, as these are their primary concerns,” he told FMT.
Santiago, however, acknowledged that the slow progress achieved by Anwar’s administration in its first year may also be attributed to the prime minister’s need to get a full grasp of the country’s economic position.
A year has passed since PKR president Anwar assumed office as the 10th prime minister. He was sworn in on Nov 24, 2022 after five days of a hung Parliament due to the failure of any coalition to secure a simple majority at the 15th general election.
Meanwhile, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim expressed concern over the delay in implementing certain reforms, especially in relation to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
“Anwar is failing in some important human rights issues, especially in relation to Sosma and the Sedition Act,” Hassan told FMT.
Pakatan Harapan had pledged in its manifesto for the 14th general election that it would repeal “draconian laws”, including Sosma. However, the repeal was not listed in PH’s manifesto for last year’s general election.
On Aug 23, it was reported that the government was considering making amendments to Section 13 of Sosma to grant bail to detainees. However, there has been no update on the matter.
Hassan also said Anwar had failed to address certain economic issues, including the weakening ringgit vis-a-vis the US dollar, as well as national unity due to issues of race, religion and royalty.
Santiago and Hassan both said that while they believed Anwar was still the best person for the country, the Cabinet was in need of a significant overhaul.
What happened to demand for independent AG?
Former MACC advisory panel member Edmund Terence Gomez urged Anwar to fulfil his promise to separate the roles and responsibilities of the public prosecutor from that of the attorney-general, as pledged in PH’s GE15 manifesto.
PH had promised a separation, with the public prosecutor deciding on matters relating to prosecution while the AG would act as the government’s legal adviser.
Gomez said an independent AG was needed to avoid a repeat of cases like the discharge not amounting to acquittal granted to deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Why is the long-held demand for an independent AG taking so long? The charges against Zahid that were dropped by the AG have undermined the credibility of the Anwar administration,” he told FMT.