Asian Insider: Malaysia Edition helps you connect the dots on the biggest stories playing out in Malaysia every week. Sign up here to get the newsletter in your inbox.
And so we arrive at the post-mortem of a woeful period for Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
Three state elections and three defeats. Already battered by this, his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) suffered further blows days before a crucial national congress that begins today and ends Sunday. His daughter Nurul Izzah relinquished the deputy presidency, while an MP quit the party to join the splinter party, Parti Bersama Malaysia.
A worse injury could be dealt on Sunday when key partner, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), decides whether it should quit the Anwar Cabinet. DAP leaders, who supply Anwar with more MPs than any other party, have told us such an outcome is unlikely. Instead, it will likely continue to stand loyally behind the prime minister despite the series of setbacks since this internal referendum was announced in the wake of a near wipe out at November’s Sabah state polls.
Nonetheless, Anwar needs to right the ship. Despite undergoing surgery to fix para-umbilical hernia on Monday – which happened to be his 79th birthday – the prime minister will still deliver the president’s address on Saturday. PH supporters, and possibly even voters of other persuasions, will be watching closely to see if he can outline exactly how PH plans to win again
The fact that the congress is being held in Melaka is no coincidence. It will be the next state to hold polls, now expected by November. The odds are against PH, which has won the historic state only once. That was in 2018, when Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, led the coalition and helped increase its pull among the Malay majority.
Some analysts, however, noted that the lived experience of the common working man is very different from the macroeconomic numbers, which include strong growth and record trade and investment figures.
A case in point: Malaysian children appear to be getting shorter despite official data showing the nation going up the income ladder. The army has, in fact, eased its height requirement for recruits to 157cm, from 162cm previously.
Our correspondent Hazlin Hassan found that more than one in five Malaysian children were affected by stunting.
“Experts said that stunting is actually a powerful indicator of whether a government and country have healthy systems and structures in place for their citizens, as reflected in the well‑being of their children,” she said.
Such effects of the wealth gap – which in Malaysia also includes unaffordable housing, rising healthcare costs and education inequality – will not be fixed overnight.
Unfortunately for Anwar, nearly four years of his tenure has already passed. Will he outline to the PKR congress what else his government can try in the maximum 18 months he has left before a general election?
While we wait for the answer this weekend, check out some of our latest reports from the bureau below and let us know if there are any areas of coverage you would like to see our correspondents pursue.
PKR and DAP meet this week with Anwar’s fate on the line
Here’s what to watch as the Malaysia PM aims to reverse a losing streak for Pakatan Harapan.
Former Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri’s court date delayed after hospitalisation
The timing of the trial, in the wake of BN’s improved fortunes in recent elections, invited scrutiny.
Opposition coalition PN plans path to power with Wawasan
Display of Malaysia’s flag back in spotlight ahead of Aug 31 celebrations
S’pore gives conditional nod to import solar power from Malaysia
This brings the number of electricity import projects granted with conditional approvals and licences to 13.
Malaysia is getting richer. Why are so many of its children still stunted?
The issue has been highlighted in national policy frameworks and raised in Parliament.
How well do Singaporeans and Malaysians really know each other?
Economic integration needs stronger people-to-people ties across the Causeway, says the writer.
Is the return of F1 to Malaysia a boon or bane for the Singapore night race?
Experts believe the two Grands Prix could complement instead of compete with each other.