Anwar’s ‘Madani City’ plan sparks fresh backlash in Malaysia

Critics are asking why the prime minister is splurging on a mega-project while vital infrastructure crumbles and doctor shortages persist

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to build a new hi-tech city named after his “Madani” slogan has sparked fresh outrage, with Malaysians accusing the government of splurging on a vanity project while imposing spending cuts on the public.

Anwar rose to power in 2022 on the promise that he would avoid the excesses of his predecessors. He vowed to stamp out corruption and cronyism after years of scandals that cost the country billions of dollars.

His credibility has taken several blows since then, however. The most recent came late last month with the resignation of two cabinet ministers over a nepotism row, which erupted after his daughter, Nurul Izzah, was elected deputy president of his ruling People’s Justice Party (PKR).

On Tuesday, the prime minister announced plans for a new “Madani City” within the administrative capital of Putrajaya, replete with schools, healthcare and public transport for more than 30,000 people.

Madani City “will focus on comprehensive and centralised facilities for the welfare of the people”, Anwar said in a statement.

The first phase of the city, named after his administration’s tagline – a Malay word that translates to “civilisation” – is set for completion by the end of 2027, featuring 3,000 homes and a secondary school. Anwar did not disclose the total cost of the project or its funding sources.

His announcement quickly triggered a flurry of criticism on social media, with many questioning the government’s priorities. Wage earners are struggling with rising costs alongside cuts to state subsidies for electricity and diesel, which Anwar argued were essential for reducing government spending.

“There is so much government infrastructure that is broken down and in need of repairs. But the government prefers to spend money on wasteful megaprojects like this,” one response to Anwar’s social media post read.

Others highlighted Malaysia’s ongoing shortage of doctors due to federal budget constraints.

It should be called ‘Nepotism City’Reply to Anwar’s social media post

“It should be called ‘Nepotism City’,” remarked another reply, reflecting public sentiment regarding the political turmoil within the PKR that led to the resignations Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and Environment Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Anwar’s reputation as a reform icon has taken a beating since he took office three years ago. Numerous leaders from coalition partner and erstwhile rival Umno have been granted reprieves from corruption trials, notably Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Malaysia’s prime minister has also faced mounting public opprobrium for slashing costly subsidies to bring down the country’s debt of more than 1 trillion ringgit (US$235 million).

Last July, the government cut diesel subsidies at the pump and limited the list of eligible recipients, a move projected to save more than 7 billion ringgit from its annual subsidy bill.

The government announced last month that it planned to restructure subsidies on petrol – Malaysia’s most widely used fuel – in the latter half of this year.

At the same time, Anwar has been promoting various projects under his government tagline, including “Residensi Madani”, a programme offering medium-cost housing for first-time homebuyers.

In March, a private developer announced that a new mosque to be built in the heart of Kuala Lumpur would be named the Madani Mosque after the government intervened to settle a controversial ownership dispute with a Hindu temple.

“This Madani is such a headache. As long as the name Madani is there everything is on … yet we don’t know what exactly they are doing for the people’s welfare,” Kamal Bhai wrote in response to Anwar’s post.