An open letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim: Where are the reforms?

Murray Hunter


Guest Editorial: An open letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim: Where are the reforms?

Prof. Dr. Ramasamy
Jan 03, 2025




Dear Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,

I have been meaning to write this letter for some time but found it challenging to gather my thoughts.

Another reason for the delay was my intent to allow you some time in office before forming any judgment about your leadership.

You are undoubtedly aware of my support for you during the political turbulence following the Pakatan Harapan (PH) victory in 2018, when Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad returned as Prime Minister.

Like many Malaysians, I truly believed Mahathir would hand over the premiership to you after two years in office, as was initially agreed.

However, it became evident that he had no intention of relinquishing the post—not to you or anyone else.

Instead, Mahathir attempted a bizarre and impractical political arrangement to continue his leadership, an effort that found no takers.

I was among those who openly criticized him for breaking his promise to you.

You are well aware of my vocal support for you during that time, even when many, including DAP leaders, harbored doubts about your ability to lead.

Some within your own coalition schemed to bypass you, yet today, they stand as flagbearers of your Madani government, a testament to the transformative power of political expediency.

When you finally assumed office in 2022 under a unity government, many Malaysians celebrated. Your victory was seen not as personal but as a collective hope that you were the leader best equipped to carry out the much-needed reforms our country desperately required. It was your promise of reform that propelled you to power.

However, two years into your administration, many—including myself—find ourselves deeply disappointed.

The lost promise of reform

Reforms were the cornerstone of your appeal, yet little has been achieved on this front.

While you might argue that reforms take time, it is disheartening to see that the groundwork has not even begun.

Instead, your government appears to have prioritized political expediency over transformative change.

Your administration seems increasingly focused on consolidating power by engaging in the politics of race and religion—an all-too-familiar strategy in Malaysia’s political playbook.

While you may be more subtle than Mahathir in employing such tactics, the outcome is no less divisive. This is not the reform-driven leadership Malaysians hoped for.

Selective justice and corruption concerns

Your government’s handling of corruption cases raises serious concerns. Prominent leaders in your coalition appear to enjoy immunity from prosecution, especially those aligned with UMNO.

If justice is selectively applied to ensure political stability, how can your administration claim moral authority?

Yes, the previous PH government, under Mahathir, may have rushed prosecutions, but your weekly meetings with him then did not address these concerns.

Now, under your leadership, the reluctance to prosecute allies sends a worrying message: political survival trumps accountability.

Racial and social inequalities persist

Race relations in Malaysia have not improved under your leadership. Despite championing diversity in international forums, your domestic policies often reinforce racial divides.

For instance, you defended the racially skewed matriculation program under the pretext of the social contract—a position that perpetuates systemic inequality.

Your government’s treatment of the Indian community is particularly disheartening. You failed to appoint an Indian minister to the Cabinet, breaking a precedent upheld by previous administrations.

While billions are allocated to Bumiputra initiatives, the Indian community receives mere financial crumbs.

Yet, sycophants within your coalition heap praise upon you, calling you the “Gandhi-Mandela” of Malaysia—a hyperbolic title you have not publicly rejected.

A final plea

Prime Minister, I write this letter not out of malice but as a reflection of my profound disappointment.

Many Malaysians, including myself, placed immense hope in your leadership, believing that you represented a new era of governance.

However, the promise of reform now feels like a distant memory. Instead of being a beacon of change, your administration seems to mirror the failures of the past. The politics of race and religion, the selective application of justice, and the neglect of marginalized communities all point to a government more concerned with self-preservation than progress.

It is not too late to chart a new course. Malaysians are still yearning for the leader they believed you could be. But to fulfill that vision, you must prioritize the reforms you promised over the expediencies of power.

Reforms and Anwar Ibrahim are no more synonymous!

Yours sincerely,

P. Ramasamy

Chairman Urimai Interim Council

January 3, 2025