PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim must make concerted efforts if he wants to remain in federal power after the next general election, a Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the leader said Anwar should start focusing on reforms as promised by PH before it won in last year’s general election instead of centring duels with Perikatan Nasional (PN).

“There are two solutions – Anwar can play the extremist game and focus on getting the Malay votes, or focus on reforms,” the source said.

“If Anwar wants to play the extremist game, in trying to become more PN than PN, I’m telling you it will not give PH even one extra vote.

“Instead, Anwar should just focus on the reforms the party (PKR) and coalition fought for for the last 25 years and see how it goes,” said the leader.

The source said during the Reformasi period, which started with Anwar’s sacking and imprisonment in the late 1990s, middle-class Malays who were hardcore Umno supporters dumped the Malay party.

He said inaction or a wrong move would result in people switching allegiance to PN.

“When I say ‘reform’, I mean reform of parliament, reform of the country, reform of the economy, reform of the education system. Go after the corrupt, get prices under control, look into healthcare, and create jobs.

“If the focus is kept on that (reforms), people will start changing (their mindset) because they will see the government is trying to manage the country,” the source said.

The source said with the reforms applied, investor confidence will rise.

“Start governing and introduce the reforms you promised and I’m sure even the Malay community will say, ‘This is the guy we want to support’.

The leader said Anwar has a lot of work to do in very little time.

“Anwar was given power to govern, so he must do that. He only has three years left now. After the third year, people will have already made up their mind. So Anwar has to go back to his core strength, which is reforms.

“He has to continue meeting university students. That has to go on. He has to meet more people, workers, farmers… talk to them to address their issues. Get the agenda going,” the source said.

Appoint ministers who can deliver

The source also urged Anwar to reshuffle the cabinet soon to get his agenda moving.

“You have a cabinet full of incompetent ministers.

“A reshuffle has to happen. With this government, I feel sorry for Anwar as there are a bunch of parliamentarians who are just useless.

“Get the best minds. They don’t have to be MPs. If he has to bring people from the corporate world, people from (civil society groups), make them senators and appoint them as ministers. Get the (agenda) going,” the source said.

Among the matters Anwar can address is eradicating hardcore poverty by year-end and introducing progressive wages, the source said.

“Anwar promised to end hardcore poverty by the end of this year but it is already the end of August and there has been no report.

“Secondly, the promise of progressive wages. Don’t make it voluntary. Make it mandatory.”

Anwar was appointed to office in November after PH formed a pact with long-time nemesis Barisan Nasional following a week-long political impasse. – August 25, 2023.