Anwar should ignore Mahathir and learn the most important lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan Government — carry out as many of the “reformasi” institutional reforms in the early months of the new government as he may not have five years

A clarification is in order with regard to my statement yesterday entitled: “Anwar should ignore Mahathir and learn the most important lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan Government — carry out as many of the ‘reformasi’ institutional reforms in the early months of the new government as he may not have five years”.

I am aware that the naysayers are jumping on the statement as proof that Lim Kit Siang does not believe that Anwar Ibrahim will last five years as Prime Minister and fortified their resolve to topple Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister ala-Sheraton Move political conspiracy as soon as possible.

But my statement said nothing about Anwar not lasting five years as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

In fact, I want the Anwar Ibrahim to last five years as Prime Minister of Malaysia to prepare the country for the 16th General Election by 2027 by first ending Malaysia’s decline in six decades and begin the process to make Malaysia great again.

After more than a month as 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar has strengthened his chances of lasting five years as Prime Minister, although Anwar and all the unity government Ministers and leaders should learn the most important lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harpaan Government: that there are political forces trying to topple them from power as soon as possible before the completion of their five-year term.

Whether the Anwar unity government will last five years, only time will tell. This is one of the issues to be fought out in the political battlefield to decide whether the Anwar unity government can last five years.

For me, I am increasingly confident that the Anwar unity government will last five years, both from the vote of confidence in Parliament last week and the various commendable initiatives in the first month of the Anwar unity government, but the Ministers and leaders of the Anwar unity government must always be conscious of the lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government and carry out institutional reforms in the early months of the government

Every Minister should consider what are the institutional reforms that he or she can carry out in the seven-week Dewan Rakyat meeting from February 13 to March 30, 2023 to make it the most important and historic parliamentary meeting in the history of Malaysia.

Malaysia has a big chance under Anwar unity government to rebuild Malaysia into a first-rate world-class plural nation — don’t spoil it.