Daddy Anwar reins in 'wayward' children

 

YOURSAY | ‘Smells like the 16th general election is not far away!’

Anwar has 'fatherly' meetings with MPs aligned with Rafizi

WhitePony9855: What else do people expect Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to do other than meet up with those who are deemed to be aligned with former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli?

Right move, but what is important is action and deeds.

In all probability, those aligned to Rafizi are not expected to be put up as PKR candidates come the next general election. The wounds are too deep to have any chance of reconciliation.

Rafizi and those aligned with him and their supporters have to make preparations to move forward on a different political platform.

A new party would be too tedious and not have enough time. The best way forward is to take over an existing political party, just like what former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin and others are doing.

Rafizi and those aligned with him will cause PKR to lose several seats.

PinkJaguar7289: What is being dressed up as a “fatherly” outreach risks looking more like classic “bapakism” rhetoric - the old political art of calming dissent through personal warmth, seniority, and soft persuasion while leaving the real questions untouched.

A leader may speak gently, reassure backbenchers, and play the wise elder in the room, but that does not automatically make the process democratic or reformist.

When criticism is managed through private paternal charm rather than answered through open institutional accountability, unity can start to look staged, and obedience can be mistaken for consensus.

For a government born from “reformasi” language, that is the danger: the public begins to wonder whether they are seeing principled leadership, or just a more polished version of the same old patronising politics.

"Bapakism rhetoric may sound comforting, but when power keeps speaking like a father, the public must ask whether it is being led with principle or managed into silence."

EmEmKay: It is great to hear about Anwar’s “fatherly” meetings with MPs aligned with Rafizi.

Such meetings relieve tension in the unity government.

Anwar reportedly assured the backbenchers that he respects their right to voice out concerns.

This is important because reform-minded MPs and party leaders have been sending a clear signal: the government’s legitimacy rests not only on numbers, but on whether it delivers the reforms repeatedly promised since 2018 and again after the last general election.

However, respect for intra-party dissent is not enough by itself. Anwar must also ensure that:

1. Regular, structured engagement with ministers happens

It is not sufficient to have “fatherly” chats only with backbenchers once discontent spills into the open.

The prime minister must systematically meet ministers, deputy ministers, and key agency heads to track the implementation of reforms, with clear timelines and public benchmarks.

Otherwise, even well-intentioned policies will be stalled or diluted down the chain of command.

2. The “deep state” and “little Napoleons” are confronted, not accommodated.

For decades, unelected power centres in the bureaucracy, enforcement agencies, and state-linked institutions could slow, sabotage, or selectively enforce policy.

If these entrenched actors are not reined in, they can:

- Suppress public criticism or civil society voices under the guise of “stability”

- Pressure publishers, writers, and artists, leading to bans, book seizures, or self-censorship

- Undermine anti-corruption and governance reforms through quiet non-compliance

It is meaningless to encourage MPs to speak out if the machinery of state still punishes ordinary people who do the same.

3. Freedom of expression and intellectual space must be actively protected

A reformist government cannot tolerate the arbitrary banning of books, intimidation of writers, or vague “morality” justifications for silencing unpopular views.

If books and ideas are still being removed or restricted in ways that contradict constitutional guarantees, then “Malaysia Madani” risks becoming a slogan rather than a lived reality.

4. Immediate and principled recognition of the UEC

The long-delayed recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate is a litmus test of whether the government is willing to move beyond old, racialised anxieties and act based on fairness and merit.

Recognising the UEC:

- Signals respect for the contributions of Chinese independent schools

- Builds confidence among minority communities that the government is serious about inclusion

- Aligns policy with the realities of the modern labour market, which values multilingual, globally competitive graduates

Continued delay only feeds the perception that deep state resistance and political calculation are still more powerful than principle.

In short, Anwar’s “fatherly” tone with Rafizi-aligned MPs is welcome only if it leads to concrete action. Listening to backbenchers must be paired with:

- Enforceable reform timelines for ministers and agencies

- Real curbs on deep state obstruction and “little Napoleon” behaviour

- Protection of free expression and an end to arbitrary bans on books and ideas

- Courageous resolution of long-standing issues like UEC recognition

Without this, such meetings risk being remembered as political damage control, rather than the start of a serious reset in how power is exercised in Putrajaya.

GrayParrot9290: Anwar, your time is up!

Get ready to be booted out, and your broken promises (real reforms) not done will come back and haunt you!

The “not enough time” and other excuses are not accepted as what you have done, said, and your thoughts or explanation are totally out of what a good leader should do!

Mosquitobrain: There's no need for an honest, capable, action-oriented and visionary leader to privately meet up with lawmakers.

Unless he or she is incapable and has to beg for support to remain in power. Smells like the 16th general election is not far away. - Mkini