As Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim reaches out to Malays-Muslims, can he be ‘everyone’s PM’?

Recent moves seen as placating the Malay majority by Anwar have caused alarm among many non-Muslims in the multicultural country

But some observers say the leader is just being pragmatic, while aiming to strike a moderate balance between ethnic groups

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaking at a press conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia in December. Photo: Handout via Xinhua

Published: 11:30am, 2 Sep 2023

Presiding over the ceremony for a young Hindu’s conversion to Islam at a mosque in Klang last month, Anwar Ibrahim struck a nerve among Malaysians concerned the prime minister is increasingly pandering to the country’s Malay-Muslim majority.

At the August 18 event, Anwar assisted a man in uttering the shahada – the Muslim statement of faith – in Arabic, a prerequisite for anyone joining Islam. His presence was unplanned; the mosque asked him to join the ceremony after he had performed Friday prayers during a visit to the families of victims of an air crash.

Still, as a video of the conversion ceremony spread across the internet, the optics jarred with many non-Muslims.

“If I wanted an imam or qadi (sharia judge) as PM, I would have voted for Hadi Awang!” former Malaysian ambassador to South America and Canada Dennis Ignatius said on X, referring to the president of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), who is a Muslim scholar and preacher.

“Day by day [Anwar] disappoints and dismays,” said Ignatius, who is of Indian descent.

Anwar was long associated with a moderate brand of Islam and an inclusive Malaysia.