After Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim congratulated C Joseph Vijay on his appointment as Tamil Nadu chief minister, PSM has cautioned the movie star-turned-politician against disappointing supporters in the same manner Pakatan Harapan did in Malaysia.
PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan noted that, much like Anwar and Harapan, Vijay (above) - aside from his immense popularity in cinema - rode to victory on a wave of reformist promises and calls for a “new dawn”.
This, he said, generated a movement strong enough to dismantle a decades-old political order, similar to how BN was defeated after six decades in the 2018 general election.
While it took Harapan parties more than two decades to reach the prime minister’s office, Vijay achieved the feat in his electoral debut, just two years after forming his political party.
“The storyline is strikingly similar,” Arutchelvan told Malaysiakini.
“Enormous hopes are now pinned on Vijay, who has made a series of sweeping promises reminiscent of Harapan’s election manifesto,” he added.
In a message on social media, Anwar, who described Vijay as “my friend”, said for years, his adoring fans watched him defeat corrupt politicians and assorted villains on screen.
“The people of Tamil Nadu have now entrusted Vijay with a responsibility far greater than any role performed on screen. ‘Oru Viral Puratchi’ - the ‘one-finger revolution’ - is now on the cusp of creating history.
“Malaysia and Tamil Nadu share deep historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties across generations. I look forward to working closely with Chief Minister Vijay in the years ahead,” added the premier.
Since forming the Madani government in 2022, Anwar - who is known for courting Indian voters by referencing and even dancing to the songs of MGR (MG Ramachandran), a Tamil film star who became chief minister in the late 1970s - along with Harapan, has faced criticism for failing to deliver on promised reforms.
There have also been recurring allegations of corruption, cronyism, abuse of power, double standards in enforcement, executive interference, and the stifling of dissent - issues that plagued previous administrations and have frustrated Harapan’s support base.
In his defence, Anwar has said that reforms require time and cannot be achieved overnight. He has also pointed out that Harapan governs in coalition with Umno, requiring consensus before major changes can be implemented.
Similar position
Arutchelvan noted that Vijay now finds himself in a similar position after his party, which won 108 seats, fell short of the numbers needed to form a government outright, resulting in a political deadlock.
Ultimately, smaller parties previously aligned with the outgoing administration backed Vijay from the outside, enabling him to form a government with a razor-thin majority on the grounds of preventing a constitutional crisis.
“Even if one of the three parties withdraws its support, Vijay’s government would be in trouble. In other words, these parties can hold him to ransom, especially after he remarked during his oath-taking ceremony that the previous government had emptied the state’s coffers.
“I hope Vijay will be able to deliver the promised reforms and not leave his voters disappointed and disillusioned, as many Harapan supporters feel today. I hope his government will chart a new path and not fall into the same traps of wealth and power as its predecessors,” he added.
After Malaysia’s last general election, Harapan, despite winning the most seats, fell short of a simple majority, forcing it to ally with Umno - a party it had previously condemned as corrupt.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, one of Harapan’s main electoral targets who was branded a “penyamun” (robber) during the campaign, was later appointed deputy prime minister.
Four years earlier, Harapan had secured Putrajaya with the help of former political rival Dr Mahathir Mohamad and an Umno splinter party, Bersatu.
However, the administration collapsed after 22 months following a series of defections, with Mahathir once again returning to the familiar role of adversary. - Mkini
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