IN a world that demands instant gratification and social media justice, it has become all too easy to vilify those who dare to lead. In Malaysia today, that burden rests most heavily on the shoulders of one man: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Let me say it plainly - this man did not fight for 25 years, endure prison, humiliation, betrayal, and the erosion of his family’s privacy and life just to sit in Putrajaya and enjoy the trappings of power. He didn’t rise to the premiership to enrich himself or build monuments of ego.
He is, whether we admit it or not, perhaps the most tested and prepared leader our country has seen in modern history. And yet, he is being asked to achieve miracles - overnight, in a fragmented cabinet and a fragmented nation still licking the wounds of past corruption, division, and complacency.
We Malaysians are passionate, intelligent, and increasingly impatient. That’s a good thing - it shows we care. But we must also be fair. Leadership is not theatre. Governing a multiracial, multi-religious, and economically stratified country like Malaysia is not a Netflix series that resolves every crisis in 60 minutes. It is a brutal, daily negotiation between ideals and reality.
Conviction Not Convenience
I have known Anwar Ibrahim long enough to see the man beneath the rhetoric. And what I see is a man burdened by responsibility but unwilling to compromise his fundamental values. Do we agree on everything? Of course not.
Because of his experience and betrayals, he cannot trust - yet he needs to, and some of the frustration many feel is because of that which causes things to not move and some not happen at all.
But I respect him for what many cannot see: his capacity to listen, his hunger for justice, and his stubborn refusal to be anyone’s puppet - local or foreign.
We forget too easily that this is a man who, during his decades in opposition, could have sold out a thousand times over for money, power or peace. He chose instead the harder path - principle over convenience.
When others fled, he stayed. When the system tried to crush him, he endured, and this was not so long ago. That counts for something. That counts for a lot.
The Complexity of Change
Those who expect Anwar to change Malaysia with a snap of his fingers do not understand the monster he inherited. A fractured civil service riddled with political loyalties.
A judiciary slowly regaining its footing after years of political interference. Institutions weakened by decades of neglect or corruption. Entrenched elites who fear change and resist it at every turn.
Now add to this a global economy in turmoil, rising costs of living, geopolitical tensions, and a generation of young Malaysians who rightly expect more transparency, more opportunity, and more accountability.
Anwar must navigate all of this - while holding together a unity government of former rivals and ideological contradictions - fighting an opposition that thinks nothing of weaponising race and religion.
That he has managed to keep this government afloat, introduce substantive policy shifts, push for institutional reform, and re-establish Malaysia’s standing on the global stage - all within a year and a half - should be acknowledged, not diminished.
Is it perfect? No. Are there mistakes? Of course. But perfection is not the measure of leadership - progress is. And we are making progress, whether critics want to admit it or not.
The world was still treating Malaysia as a country with issues so far as being safely investable - and everyone generally linked our country to the 1MDB scandal.
Is our memory so short that we have forgotten that. We were falling behind virtually all countries in ASEAN. The only favour Myanmar did was to fall apart otherwise they were being competitive with us too ... yes Myanmar.
Now - we are back on the global stage. Not for scandals but for having significant inward investment, for having historic increase in tourism - higher than even Thailand, and yes for having Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister.
On the Judiciary and Real Power
Some claim Anwar controls everything, even the judiciary. This is either wilful ignorance or malicious spin. The appointment and extension of judges, including the Chief Justice, is bound by constitutional process.
The Prime Minister does not decide these things alone. There is a Judicial Appointments Commission. And most critically there is a King that on advice will make the final appointment or extension. There are institutional mechanisms in place precisely to prevent political interference.
Ironically, the very reforms Anwar has supported - like transparency in appointments and judicial independence - are now used to accuse him of interference. It’s Kafkaesque. And it tells you just how badly some want to derail reform for their own benefit.
The Price of Principle
I know what it’s like to be attacked for standing beside someone like Anwar. I’ve felt it. My family has for over 20 years.
Vicious articles, manipulated lawsuits, character assassination - tools used by the powerful and threatened. And now used by cheap hack politicians.
But I sleep well because I know where I stand. I believe in social capitalism. I believe in giving back. I believe in building a Malaysia that works for all - not just for the privileged few. And I know this Prime Minister wants the same.
He doesn’t seek sycophants. He needs thinkers. Builders. People who will challenge him but not abandon him. If we expect him to lead us into a better future, we must also give him the political space and moral support to do so.
He is sometimes surrounded by the less than worthy, but there are still those that tell him what he needs to hear. He must make the decision of who and what to listen to. That is finally the test of leadership.
The Malaysian Dream Is Worth Fighting For
This is not just about Anwar Ibrahim. It is about us. Who are we as a people? Are we just keyboard warriors, easily swayed by propaganda and quick to forget the lessons of the past? Or are we a nation maturing into its own identity - imperfect, yes, but willing to confront its truths and shape a better tomorrow?
Malaysia deserves better. It's only been 2 years, and the liberal elites are crying like little spoilt babies and the Malay ground are manipulated by those using race and religion. The people that truly deserve better are the B40, they have been left behind by all. But better does not happen without pain, patience, and perseverance.
Anwar represents not a perfect solution, but a necessary step forward. If we let him fail for the sake of political theatre or personal vendetta, we are not punishing him - we are punishing ourselves and our children.
The time for petty politics is over. The time for nation-building has begun. And not the often used throw-away line but real building for all not some. And I, for one, choose to build. - July 9, 2025
Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar is the publisher of the Vibes and Chairman of the Petra Group
