This year in Malaysia: creeping conservatism, censorship, war in Gaza – and some Oscars cheer

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.

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.

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.