Malaysia: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wins vote of confidence in Parliament

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim leaves Parliament after the vote of confidence, in Kuala Lumpur on December 19, 2022. AFP - HASNOOR HUSSAIN

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2 mins

The government of national unity led by Anwar Ibrahim passed the test of confidence in Parliament on Monday.

This is a first victory for the eternal Malaysian opponent who became Prime Minister on 19th November.

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To win, he only needed a vote by acclamation.

The voices of his supporters in the hemicycle very quickly drowned out the cries of the opposition.

Malaysian

won a vote of confidence in Parliament on Monday (December 19th), thus consolidating his mandate a month after an inconclusive electoral result forced him to join forces with his former political rivals.

Longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed the support of 148 out of 222 parliamentarians. Since 2008, no government had won a two-thirds majority.

This position leaves him an avenue both to have his reforms adopted, but also, if necessary, to amend the Constitution.

His priority is the adoption of the budget from the start of 2023, a key text in view of the six provincial elections scheduled for the course of the summer, which will serve as a barometer of the popularity of the executive.

Will the union hold?

However, all is not won.

Because to form his team, Anwar Ibrahim went to recruit everywhere on the political spectrum, among his historical rivals of the center-right as among small local formations on the island of Borneo.

A heterogeneous team and never seen sealed by a very strict memorandum of understanding, according to which the deputies of the majority who would vote against the government would be forced to resign.

The opposition is already crying out for political foreclosure and promising that this device will be sanctioned by the Malaysians from the next elections.

Analysts, however, believe that this clear majority should bring political stability to the Southeast Asian nation, which has seen four leadership changes in four years.

Longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as the country's 10th prime minister on November 24 to lead a unity government.

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• Malaysia

• Anwar Ibrahim