KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday he is in talks with the party of ex-premier Najib Razak, who is in jail for corruption, to form the next government after an inconclusive election.

Anwar’s multi-ethnic coalition, which campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket, won 82 seats in Saturday’s election, the most of any bloc but still short of the majority needed to form government.

Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest economies, has had three changes of government in as many years, underscoring recent political instability. Saturday’s election offered no immediate solution to that impasse, only more of the political horsetrading that have characterised recent polls.

“I am still very optimistic that we will be able to form a government, more transparent, more democratic and to safeguard the interests of the people in Malaysia,” Anwar told a news conference.

Another bloc, headed by former premier Muhyiddin Yassin, has also claimed it has enough backing to form government with the support of the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).

Malaysia’s king is poised to break the stalemate. Parties have been told to submit their preferred prime minister and coalition partners to the king’s palace, with a deadline extended to 2pm local time on Tuesday.

Anwar spoke after holding formal talks with the incumbent ruling bloc Barisan Nasional, which is dominated by Najib’s graft-tainted United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

He said the talks with his old foes were predicated on him becoming the prime minister, a dream he has held for more than two decades. An agreement with UMNO would give Anwar an extra 30 seats for a simple majority of 112.

UMNO dominated Malaysian politics for decades but registered its worst election performance since independence in 1957.

It also suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2018 election due to public anger over the 1MDB graft scandal that involved billions of dollars of state funds. Najib, who was at the centre of the scandal, is serving a 12-year jail term.

Anwar had campaigned on a promise to fight corruption, an issue that has come into sharper focus as Malaysians struggle with soaring food prices.

Asked about pending corruption cases involving more UMNO leaders, he said he would leave it to the justice system. “Court is court. The judiciary must be free from the executive,” Anwar said.

The apparent contradiction in Anwar seeking support from a corruption-tainted party was not lost on political observers.

“Anwar and his coalition must thread the discussion of a unity government carefully so as not to alienate its supporters,” said Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, deputy managing director at BowerGroupAsia.

Big gains for Islamists

PAS become the largest party in Muhyiddin’s bloc after Saturday’s vote, triggering worries about its influence on national policy. The party, for example, forced the cancellation of an annual craft beer festival in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in 2017.

Two women convicted of having lesbian sex were also caned in front of more than 100 spectators in a PAS-ruled state the following year.

“I will see first if they abolish things like gambling and alcohol. I know in Islam, Muslims cannot do these but you cannot override non-Muslims’ enjoyment,” said warehouse manager Leonard Tan, 56, adding that he would migrate if the business environment was affected.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.