The noise that drowns out Malaysia’s real story

 Whether we like Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim or not, we cannot deny that he has brought a measure of steadiness to the political landscape.

From Wong Chun Wai

Democracy is noisy, but social media is noisier.

By almost any measure, one would think Malaysia is in perpetual crisis and even perceived to be a failed state if social media were the only lens through which we see the country.

Scroll through the endless posts, comments and viral videos, and the picture painted is bleak: political, racial, and religious chaos, and a nation supposedly on the brink of decline.

It is a narrative repeated so often that many begin to accept it as truth. The campaign has become more aggressive because the political actors believe a general election is looming.

But away from the noise of the digital echo chamber, Malaysia today enjoys a high degree of political stability that has been missing in recent years.

Malaysians have always taken political stability for granted. We have forgotten that we lost precious time when we had three prime ministers between 2018 and 2022.

Whether we like Anwar Ibrahim or not, we cannot deny that he has brought a measure of steadiness to the political landscape.

Investors, both domestic and foreign, tend to value predictability, and stability has helped restore confidence in Malaysia’s direction.

The foreign community looks at Malaysia with greater respect now, with Anwar playing a big role on the global stage.

Put aside the politics. Let’s look at the data. Malaysia has recorded a historic high of RM426.7 billion in approved investments in 2025, an 11% increase from 2024 which is expected to create over 244,000 new jobs.

Johor recorded RM110 billion in approved investments for 2025, the highest ever for a single state in Malaysian history, accounting for 25.77% of Malaysia’s total approved investments for the year.

Major multinational companies continue to choose Malaysia as a base for advanced manufacturing, data centres and technology supply chains. From electronics to green technology, the country is positioning itself within industries that will define the next phase of global growth.

No serious investors will put billions into Malaysia if it continues to be rocked by political turbulence, changing prime ministers and policies.

Bank Negara Malaysia’s international reserves reached US$128.3 billion as of Feb 27, the highest ever since August 2014. Supported by stronger exchange and gold accumulation, the reserves rose for an 11th consecutive month.

These reserves are more than just numbers; they represent economic resilience, providing the country with the capacity to weather global uncertainties and financial shocks.

The ringgit, once the subject of constant alarmist commentary online, has strengthened against major currencies.

It emerged as Asia’s best-performing currency in early 2026, driven by strong economic fundamentals, increased foreign investment, and a narrowing interest rate differential with the US.

Even Anwar’s critics will agree that the stronger ringgit reflects improving confidence in the country’s economic fundamentals and policy direction.

Our unemployment rate has reached a near-decade low of 3.1% as of December 2024, reflecting a stable and strengthening labour market. The rate has remained consistently low between 3.1% and 3.3% throughout late 2024 to early 2026.

Malaysia’s inflation rate in 2026 is expected to remain broadly stable at around 2%, but with the war in West Asia and oil price hikes, there would probably be an impact on our inflation and petrol costs, as with the rest of the world.

These figures do not support the narrative that Anwar is doing a bad job. It takes a lot of hard work to make this happen.

“The problem with the digital space is not merely that criticism exists – criticism is essential in any healthy democracy. The problem arises when outrage becomes the dominant currency of engagement.

“Algorithms reward anger, exaggeration and sensationalism. Nuance rarely goes viral,” as one report put it.

Unfortunately, data-driven analysis is not social media viral material. Malaysians do not have the patience to read a thoughtful analysis.

Economic data seldom attracts the same attention as a dramatic claim that the country is collapsing. Over time, this creates a distorted perception. The loudest voices online can make it appear as though the nation is perpetually failing, even when evidence suggests otherwise.

Many of us seem to be affected by a few religious extremists who are bent on creating hatred over the Hindu temple issue with their incessant, provocative actions and postings.

They would have been detained under the Internal Security Act in the era of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but these draconian laws have been repealed.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner, Azam Baki, is in the spotlight as we await the report of internal investigations against him.

He is under probe for dabbling in shares and to determine whether he has crossed the permissible level as a civil servant, and whether he did obtain approval to do so, not for corruption.

Azam may not be a popular figure with many questioning his methods, but never in the country’s history have so many big personalities been arrested and investigated. His job is to hand over his recommendations to the attorney-general once MACC completes their investigations.

Certainly, not everything is well and fine in Malaysia. Issues such as income disparity, governance challenges, delayed reforms and the rising cost of living remain real concerns.

They deserve honest discussion and policy attention, but a nation’s challenges should be debated in proportion to its achievements and strengths.

Constantly projecting an image of failure does little to help Malaysia. Instead, it risks eroding confidence among citizens and investors alike, creating a self-fulfilling cycle of pessimism.

“Malaysia’s story today is not one of perfection, but neither is it one of collapse. It is the story of a country gradually regaining stability, attracting investments and strengthening its economic foundations,” said one analyst.

It’s just been three years since Anwar held the top job. We are still grappling with the 1MDB case. As of late 2025, Malaysia has had to pay RM42.17 billion to service 1MDB’s debt and interest obligations.

The debt burden is gigantic as the remaining balance is about RM9.02 billion, with the final maturity date for the principal payment in 2039, according to reports, and all this is funded from the federal budget.

In the end, we must ask a simple question: should we allow the loudest voices with political interest to define our national narrative on social media, or should we judge our country by facts and evidence, and not merely emotions and prejudices? - FMT

 Wong Chun Wai is a national journalism laureate and the chairman of Bernama.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.