Anwar Ibrahim confident M’sia Govt can improve to ‘A’ despite BERSIH’s ‘D’ rating

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed confidence that his administration could achieve an “A” grade for performance in the near future, despite receiving a “D” from electoral watchdog, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH).

“Bersih gave us a ‘D’. It’s okay. It’s a ‘D’, not an ‘F’,” Anwar remarked in the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives), comparing it to academic grading.

He noted that a student scoring a ‘D’ in the now-abolished UPSR (Primary School Achievement Test) could still secure an ‘A’ in the SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education), which is equivalent to O-Levels in other systems.

The unity government, Anwar said, is still in its infancy.

His comments were in response to Awang Hashim, the Member of Parliament for Pendang from the opposition coalition, who sought an explanation for Bersih’s assessment.

The watchdog had criticised the administration for limited reforms and discrepancies between its promises and actions.

Bersih also ranked former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the best-performing leader among the five premiers since 2009, including Anwar, Muhyiddin Yassin, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Najib Razak.

Anwar blames opposition’s rejection of MoU for Constituency Development Fund delays

Addressing media freedom, Anwar acknowledged Malaysia’s need to improve its global ranking.

However, he pointed out constraints linked to race, religion, and royalty (3Rs), citing requests from Malay rulers to maintain a strict stance on open discussions about such issues.

“While we allow open discussions, the Malay rulers have been firm in their stance against public criticism without action,” he explained, adding that no action was taken against harsh criticisms of him unless police reports were lodged.

On the Political Financing Bill, Anwar said it remains under review by a parliamentary special committee.

He confirmed his Cabinet’s approval for its implementation, pending further discussion on its framework.

Commenting on the Constituency Development Fund, Anwar attributed delays to the opposition’s rejection of a government-proposed memorandum of understanding. The opposition claimed it conflicted with the Federal Constitution.

Anwar reiterated his administration’s commitment to advancing reforms despite challenges, expressing hope for improved evaluations in the future.

Bersih urges Anwar administration to fast-track reforms before next General Election

Earlier on 19 November, Bersih chairman Faisal Abdul Aziz criticised Anwar’s administration for failing to deliver on promises made by its coalition partners, Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).

“There are four common promises in both PH and BN manifestos that remain unfulfilled. Anwar himself was the leader of PH when these promises were made,” Faisal said.

Bersih urged the government to act decisively as it nears the halfway mark of its term, highlighting the need for reforms such as the Parliamentary Services Act, Political Financing Act, and Fixed-Term Parliament Act.

It also advocated a 10-year prime ministerial term limit and the separation of roles between the attorney-general and public prosecutor.

While Bersih acknowledged Anwar’s willingness to engage with civil society, including a historic meeting with the group earlier this year, it noted the lack of significant progress since.

“The lack of significant reforms under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is perplexing, particularly given that the Unity Government enjoys a strong parliamentary majority.”

Bersih also criticised Perikatan Nasional for failing to adopt a constructive role as the opposition, highlighting issues like the absence of a Shadow Cabinet and a cohesive policy platform.

It noted structural challenges faced by opposition MPs, such as unequal Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations and limited legislative influence.

The watchdog urged the opposition to push for parliamentary reforms through a potential memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Unity Government.

Bersih also warned the government to accelerate reforms ahead of the next general election to maintain public confidence.