MP SPEAKS | Former British prime minister Harold Wilson is attributed as saying that a week is too long in politics. This means a month feels like an eternity. This was probably how keen observers of Malaysian politics felt throughout July 2025.
The retirement of chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat without the customary six-month extension caused some quarters to liken it to a judicial crisis, similar to that of the 1988 crisis.
On July 7, former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli led eight out of 31 PKR MPs to call for the formation of a royal commission of inquiry into the judiciary.
This intervention from Rafizi’s group gave the impression that all was not well within PKR and Pakatan Harapan, and by extension, the Anwar-led federal government.
Some of them had the unfounded fear that former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh, who was accused of interfering in judicial matters, would become the next chief justice. That didn’t happen, though.
In July, when the new chief justice, Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, was announced by the palace after the Council of Rulers meeting, the Bar Council - the organiser of “Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence” on July 14 - immediately applauded the choice.
There was no judicial crisis after all, and the protests fizzled out.
Early in July, there was also discernible discontent about the economy, including the sales and service tax (SST) expansion, the adjusted electricity tariff, which many wrongly interpreted as a hike in energy costs, and the Trump tariffs. There were also concerns about the rationalisation of petrol pump prices.
Due to widespread falsehoods and gossip about government austerity, a dark mood enveloped many Malaysians with regard to the economy.
Brighter economic mood
On July 23, the prime minister announced a package of good news: no petrol hike for all Malaysians and a six-sen reduction instead, starting from September. There will also be a RM100 cash aid to all adult Malaysians.
What does this generosity mean? I would say that the end of fuel hike speculations and the announcement of payments indicate that the government is not pursuing an austerity drive, injecting a more relaxed and brighter mood about the economy.
By now, Malaysians who have seen their electricity bills would agree that there is no uniform hike in energy costs. For many, there are actually savings.
Three days after Anwar’s announcement, the opposition Perikatan Nasional organised a “Turun Anwar” rally, which aimed to attract 500,000 participants.
Never mind that the number of rally-goers was much lower and most of them PAS members, the rally, which aimed to ridicule Anwar, ended up begging more questions than answers. The public is asking: if Anwar is ousted, who will replace him? Until today, PN leaders have no clear answer on who should lead the nation should they be given the mandate.
While Anwar was facing challenges domestically, the sudden escalation of the Cambodia-Thai border conflict came as a shock.
When I asked the prime minister on July 24 on the sidelines of the Asean Semiconductor Summit (Asemis) 2025 event whether he would try to speak to the warring parties, he said he would do it that evening.
Four days later, on July 28, albeit having lost more than 40 lives and displacing 300,000 people, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai finally came together in Kuala Lumpur for a peace talk.
The photo of Anwar sitting at the centre with the two leaders on each side, in the presence of the US and Chinese ambassadors to Malaysia, will go down in history as a critical moment for Asean as an organisation, and Malaysia’s role in asserting its centrality.
Anwar secures Trump visit, tariff cut
At 6.50am on July 31, Anwar spoke to United States President Donald Trump over the phone for the first time, with Trump thanking Malaysia for our peace-making role in the Cambodia-Thai conflict.
He also promised to come to Kuala Lumpur for the 47th Asean Summit this October, a major diplomatic feat for Malaysia as the chair of Asean, especially at a time when Trump will probably skip the G20 Summit in South Africa in November.
It is difficult to imagine either former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin or PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang achieving what Anwar did.
On the Trump tariffs, since April, Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz and chief negotiator Mastura Ahmad Mustafa have been working tirelessly to strike a more favourable deal with the US.
When Trump unilaterally announced the 25 percent tariff for Malaysia on July 7, detractors hit out at the Anwar administration. On Aug 1, the tariff was reduced to 19 percent and there is less noise now.
To ensure the stability, sustainability, and popularity of the federal government, supporters must persevere in tough times, be resilient when attacked by detractors, and not be too jubilant when the public mood is in our favour. Be tough yet humble.
Our prime minister’s international stature will allow Malaysia to have a stronger influence in shaping things in a chaotic transition of the world order from unipolarity to multipolarity.
While some problems solved themselves, some fortuitous events happened, and some long-term efforts paid off spectacularly, the result is that Anwar has managed to turn the corner.
This turning of the corner is a great opening episode to the second half of the 15th Parliament for the government to achieve more and to ensure victory in the upcoming general election. - Mkini
LIEW CHIN TONG is the deputy minister for investment, trade, and industry, as well as the Iskandar Puteri MP.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.