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This year in Malaysia: creeping conservatism, censorship, war in Gaza – and some Oscars cheer
- For Anwar Ibrahim, 2023 was dominated by efforts to stymie Malaysian politics’ lurch to the right and push back against Israel’s assault on Gaza
- Critics attacked his government’s growing censorship amid grievances over graft – but Michelle Yeoh’s Academy Award win provided a bright spot
The first year of Anwar Ibrahim’s much-anticipated premiership did not pan out as his long-time supporters had hoped, as his administration tilted conservative to try and rein in surging Malay nationalism that emerged from a deeply split national election in 2022.
Politics, again, took centre stage for most of the year as Anwar scrambled to turn the tide of the opposition’s “green wave” – so-called to reflect the primary colour of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) – amid a string of controversial court rulings on corruption, although there was some cheer from an unprecedented Oscar win.
Swing to the right
Hopes were high for a fresh start when Anwar became Malaysia’s prime minister late last year, but he inherited a deeply divided electorate that fuelled the rise of a formidable nationalist opposition bloc, which has accused him of sidelining the interests of the country’s Malay-Muslim majority.
For a good chunk of the year, Anwar’s attention was diverted by efforts to stem the tide of discontent towards his administration from the ethnic Malay majority – especially ahead of polls in six states that were widely seen as a litmus test for his popularity and that of his ragtag coalition of allies and erstwhile foes.
‘Nothing’s been done’: has Malaysia’s Anwar lost momentum to make reforms?
‘Nothing’s been done’: has Malaysia’s Anwar lost momentum to make reforms?
To burnish his Malay and Islamist credentials, Anwar held Eid celebrations in all the states going to the polls and hosted popular but controversial clerics such as Muhammad Salah from the US, Wael Ibrahim from Australia and Zimbabwe’s Ismail Menk.
For all his efforts, the August elections ended with the status quo being maintained. But the opposition did make significant inroads with Malay voters in Selangor and Penang – two of the country’s richest and most industrialised states that have long supported Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition.
Growing censorship
The fractious political climate also triggered an increasingly severe government response to perceived transgressions on social media.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzi was especially critical of micro-video sharing site TikTok, but also of Facebook parent Meta and US search giant Google, slamming them for not doing enough to crackdown on content deemed offensive under the government’s so-called 3R policy covering race, religion and royalty.
Malaysia, Meta to work on wiping ‘undesirable content’ from Facebook, Instagram
Malaysia, Meta to work on wiping ‘undesirable content’ from Facebook, Instagram
TikTok was instrumental in the opposition’s outreach to the Malay electorate during campaigning for last year’s national polls, something that even PAS acknowledged after they finished with the largest share of parliament’s 222 seats.
Ahead of the August state polls, the government also shut down a multi-day music festival after the frontman of British pop group The 1975 kissed a male bassist on stage on opening night, and also banned a line of pride watches made by Swiss watchmaker Swatch.
Grievances over graft
Several high-profile individuals were charged for corruption this year as part of Anwar’s pledge to crack down on graft and abuse of power.
Among the biggest names brought before the courts was former prime minister and leader of the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition, Muhyiddin Yassin. In December, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission also seized control of a skyscraper in connection with their probe into the activities of veteran politician and businessman Daim Zainuddin.
Malaysia ex-minister Daim slams PM Anwar for ‘political witch-hunt’ over probe
Malaysia ex-minister Daim slams PM Anwar for ‘political witch-hunt’ over probe
But Anwar’s anti-graft policy also took a serious hit after his ally, Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had his corruption charges dropped – along with a clutch of senior Umno leaders facing separate graft cases.
Supporters of Anwar’s PH, which had long accused Umno leaders of being corrupt, balked at the turn of events, with some questioning what exactly they had been fighting for over the past two decades spent in opposition.
From the river to the sea
Internationally, Anwar became a leading voice in the global push against Israel’s war on Hamas, which has killed more than 21,000 people and displaced millions in the Gaza Strip.
His fiery rebuke of Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza – in retaliation for an October 7 assault by Hamas on southern Israel in which 1,139 people died and 248 were taken hostage – also encouraged a domestic boycott of businesses seen as linked to the United States or supportive of Israel, to the point that a local bank advised shareholders to dump their holdings in the local franchisee of US coffee chain Starbucks.
Anwar bans Israeli ships from Malaysian ports in new move for Palestinian cause
Anwar bans Israeli ships from Malaysian ports in new move for Palestinian cause
Anwar later announced a ban on ships docking or unloading cargo in Malaysia that are operated by Israeli logistics giant Zim, along with any ship bearing the Israeli flag.
The prime minister admitted that it could hurt the country’s all-important trade figures, but insisted that it was necessary to uphold Malaysia’s “principle of humanity”.
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Proud mama: See Janet Yeoh's reaction to her daughter Michelle winning Oscar for best actress
Proud mama: See Janet Yeoh's reaction to her daughter Michelle winning Oscar for best actress
Oscars magic
Beyond politics, the country was overjoyed after local hero Michelle Yeoh made history as the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for best actress for her leading role in the comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In her acceptance speech, Yeoh said her win was a “beacon of hope and possibilities” for people of colour, and also proved that age was not a factor in a woman’s ability to achieve success.
Flak for their fiction: Malaysian films face conservatives’ fury in culture war
Flak for their fiction: Malaysian films face conservatives’ fury in culture war
Local auteurs, however, had a mixed bag of experiences in the wake of Yeoh’s Oscar win, with the cast and crew of the film Mentega Terbang facing death threats over its premise: a young girl’s exploration of religion. The film was later banned by the government.
On the other hand, a few other movies such as Rain Town and Abang Adik earned international accolades and even won the approval of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia’s chief, who said “the world now knows Malaysia”.
Freak accidents
Malaysians were left shocked in August when a private jet slammed into a highway on the outskirts of capital Kuala Lumpur, killing all eight passengers and crew and two passing motorists.
A preliminary report on the crash released a month later said the incident was “not survivable”. It was also reported that there was no evidence of incapacitation or physiological factors affecting the flight crew’s performance.
‘Girl math’, MH370 jokes: Singapore’s biggest social media stories of 2023
‘Girl math’, MH370 jokes: Singapore’s biggest social media stories of 2023
Earlier in the year, a Bangladeshi teenager in January survived a six-day ordeal after he was accidentally locked in a container and shipped to Malaysia.
The 15-year-old boy, who was found disoriented and confused after days without food or water, was believed to have fallen asleep in the container while playing hide-and-seek.
He was sent home after it was confirmed he was not a victim of human trafficking and fit for travel. Sadly, the boy later died, drowning in a pool near his home in April.
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