Malaysia PM Anwar’s focus on Gaza and global travels spark domestic criticism

By The Straits Times | Created at 2025-01-31 14:39:33 | Updated at 2025-01-31 16:40:45 2 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR – Two recent tweets involving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are giving the Malaysian leader a headache, with political leaders and citizens zooming in on his penchant for talking up issues on Gaza and travelling around the globe, instead of focusing on concerns about domestic corruption cases and the government’s slow pace of promised reforms.

Datuk Seri Anwar announced on X on Jan 29 that “Malaysia will mobilise efforts to build a school, hospital, and mosque in Gaza to help alleviate the suffering endured by the Palestinian population”, adding to his other pronouncements on the Israel-Hamas war, and flying in 41 injured Palestinians in August 2024 for treatment in Malaysia.

While the Palestinian cause has widespread support in Malaysia, the backlash has been swift as the Premier seems to enjoy being seen as a champion of Gaza, while ignoring the slew of domestic concerns surrounding his two-year-old government.

Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, a former international trade minister, questioned the need for Malaysia to pour money abroad, and pointed out the “sad state” of Malaysia’s rural schools.

“Also, the inadequacies in our outlying government hospitals as well as places of worship,” she told Malaysiakini news website on Jan 30. She said Malaysian leaders must prioritise the needs of Malaysians, adding: “So much needs to be resolved and done in our country.”

There were dozens of angry readers’ comments responding to that Malaysiakini report, among them an aggrieved post that read: “The Arab countries that are richer can do it (rebuild Gaza facilities). Malaysians on your own can contribute, but not the government, as it has to take care of all Malaysians first.”

Professor James Chin, who teaches Asian studies at University of Tasmania, said Mr Anwar has ambitions of becoming an international Islamic leader, much like how former premier Mahathir Mohamad had been. Tun Dr Mahathir, 99, held office from 1981 to 2003 and later from 2018 to 2020 for a cumulative total of 24 years, making him the country’s longest-serving prime minister.

“A lot of Malaysians don’t have a problem with it as long as he (Anwar) fixes the Malaysian economy. The problem starts when he neglects Malaysia and spends too much time on international affairs,” he told The Straits Times.

The Gaza kerfuffle followed the heels of an earlier blow-up, when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Jan 16 inadvertently stepped onto a Malaysian landmine.

“Today, I met with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, to discuss new investment from Malaysian businesses into the UK which will create 30,000 jobs and build new homes,” Mr Starmer said in a post on X.

Mr Anwar launched a £2 billion (S$6.74 billion) housing project in Bristol by Malaysian conglomerate YTL Group when he was in the UK in mid-January. The project was not a Malaysian government project, but critics hammered Mr Anwar anyway.

Ex-premier Dr Mahathir, with his usual sarcasm, asked why Malaysia is helping to create tens of thousands of jobs in the UK. “This is the Malaysian way. We always help people who are richer than us,” he said in a statement on Jan 27.

Said Mr P. Ramasamy, a former Penang deputy chief minister who is now with the opposition: “Such proclamations sit uneasily with the public, who expect the government to prioritise job creation and investment domestically.”

He added on Jan 23, in a commentary on the MalaysiaNow news site, that Mr Anwar appeared to be travelling frequently in order to evade problems at home.

“A troubling pattern has emerged: Anwar’s overseas travels seem to correlate with his waning popularity at home. The more criticism he faces domestically, the more frequently he appears on the global stage, often surrounded by ministers and private sector cheerleaders.”

Mr Anwar faces numerous pressing challenges on the domestic front, ranging from the contentious issue of whether jailed former PM Najib Razak should be granted house arrest, to fulfilling promises of reform, and addressing a prolonged shortage of local white rice.

On Jan 25, some 200 university students and activists held a rally calling for the government to speed up the pace of reforms and crack down on corruption.

Organisers said the dropping of graft charges against figures like Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi and the idea of Mr Najib being released on house arrest have sparked public outcry.

Nine former presidents of the Malaysian Bar said on Jan 23 that Mr Anwar’s government had failed to uphold judicial independence, especially compared with the last three administrations. The Bar is the professional body for lawyers in Malaysia.

“The pressures put on the judiciary in the last several years by external forces were clear to many of us, who know the signs only too well,” they said in a joint statement.

“It is widely perceived that the previous three governments valued and respected judicial independence more than the current government, which is extremely disappointing, to say the least.”

In response to the critics, Mr Anwar told reporters on Jan 31: “When we help other villages, some may ask, ‘What about our village?’ But in Islam, we are not taught to think that way.”

“When we try to help even a little, the response we get is, ‘Fix our own problems first’. But there will always be problems at home. Even if we had all the time in the world, they will never be fully resolved. However, we can still do something (for others), no matter how small,” he was quoted as saying by local daily The Star.

Analysts say Mr Anwar needs to strike a balance between addressing domestic concerns and strengthening his international reputation.

“Hobnobbing on the international stage has always been Anwar’s cup of tea. He enjoys the recognition from other world leaders, and perhaps it serves as a temporary distraction from problems at the home front,” political scientist Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia told ST. “It is a balancing act because he still needs to promote Malaysia’s interests abroad.”

Mr Amir Fareed Rahim, strategic director at risk consultancy KRA Group, said Mr Anwar’s position on Gaza’s reconstruction is consistent with Malaysia’s stand on the Palestinian cause.

And with Malaysia being the chair of Asean in 2025, it imposes on Mr Anwar the responsibility to act as the region’s spokesman on crucial global issues.

“As a seasoned politician, the PM must strive to find a balance in managing domestic priorities and securing international prestige for the nation. Both are important and interconnected,” Mr Amir said.

Mr Amir noted: “The Prime Minister’s international engagements are not without domestic benefits – the challenge is realising them for the masses.”