Anwar says his first priority is cost of living
MALAYSIA’S newly appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday (Nov 25) his primary focus would be on the cost of living as he takes office with a slowing economy and a country deeply split after a close election.
Anwar, 75, was sworn in as premier on Thursday, capping a three-decade political journey from a protege of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad to protest leader, a prisoner convicted of sodomy and opposition figurehead.
Anwar, who was appointed by Malaysia’s king on Thursday following an inconclusive election, said his primary concern was the economy, and he would have a smaller Cabinet than those of previous administrations.
“My priority now is addressing the cost of living,” he told a news conference after reporting for duty at the prime minister’s office.
Anwar has yet to announce any Cabinet appointments for his coalition government. He had earlier indicated there would be two deputy prime ministers – one from former ruling alliance Barisan and another from smaller political blocs in Malaysia Borneo.
On whether he would keep the finance minister portfolio for himself, Anwar said he has not considered that option.
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“We will look at all the possibilities, but at the moment I have not considered that.”
His appointment ended five days of unprecedented post-election crisis.
His rival, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, had refused to concede, challenging Anwar to prove his majority in Parliament. But on Friday, Muhyiddin said he accepted Anwar’s appointment and his bloc would play the role of the opposition.
The campaign for Saturday’s election pitted Anwar’s progressive, multi-ethnic coalition against Muhyiddin’s mostly conservative ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance.
But neither leader won a majority, which raised the risk of a standoff exacerbating instability in ethnically diverse Malaysia, which has had three prime ministers in as many years.
The wrangling also risked delaying policy decisions needed to foster economic recovery.
The Malaysian King defused the crisis by appointing Anwar after consultations with various politicians.
“Anwar’s tasks have just started, to unite a very polarised and divided nation, based on race and religion,” said former lawmaker and coalition ally Lim Kit Siang.
Markets surged on Thursday on the end of political deadlock, but investors will be monitoring how Anwar manages the aftermath of the election.
Malaysian stocks on Friday morning were flat, after 4 per cent gains the previous day, while the ringgit extended gains, up nearly 1 per cent.
Anwar’s supporters expressed hope that his government would avert a return to historic tensions between the ethnic Malay, Muslim majority and ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
Anwar’s coalition, known as Pakatan Harapan, won the most seats in Saturday’s vote with 82, while Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional bloc won 73. They needed 112 – a simple majority – to form a government.
The long-ruling Barisan bloc won only 30 seats – the worst electoral performance for a coalition that had dominated politics since independence in 1957.
Anwar said on Thursday the Barisan and an alliance of parties from Malaysian Borneo had pledged to support his government.
On Friday, he said another Borneo bloc had also joined, giving him the backing of more than two-thirds of members of the 222-seat parliament.
A two-thirds majority will allow Anwar’s government to amend the constitution. No Malaysian government has held such a majority in the lower house since 2008. REUTERS
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