‘Be my guest’: Malaysia’s Anwar dares rivals to hold no-confidence vote

In the aftermath of weekend protests calling for his resignation, the prime minister has earned praise for his administration’s restraint

Faced with street protests calling for him to resign amid a rising tide of public discontent, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has challenged the opposition camp to present a no-confidence vote against him.

More than 20,000 protesters marched through Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, demanding Anwar’s resignation in an opposition-led rally, the first he has faced since becoming prime minister.

The opposition has accused him of failing to deliver on election promises and mismanaging the economy.

On Sunday, Anwar directly addressed opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin’s hints that a no-confidence motion was looming, saying he welcomed the opportunity to prove his parliamentary support.

“Be my guest, we welcome it,” Anwar said to reporters. “This is the right process. If he wants to table it, then table it. He has been saying he wants to do it for three years now.”

The opposition bloc, comprising Islamist party PAS and Malay nationalist party Bersatu, has consistently questioned Anwar’s control of Malaysia’s 222-seat parliament since his appointment as prime minister in November 2022. Hamzah has repeatedly suggested he will initiate a no-confidence motion “any time; tomorrow, next week or next election”.

Anwar initially assumed office by building alliances among competing factions after the inconclusive 2022 general election. His parliamentary command was subsequently reinforced by winning a confidence vote in December 2022, one of his earliest acts as prime minister.

Anwar maintains a two-thirds parliamentary majority, further strengthened by several opposition MPs defecting to pledge support for his leadership.

While news of Saturday’s rally continues to dominate discussions in Malaysia, Anwar has earned praise for his administration’s restrained handling of the demonstration – a notable departure from his predecessors’ approaches to protests.

This includes former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who joined Saturday’s rally. He was infamous for cracking down on street protests during his 22-year rule of Malaysia.

Anwar, whose own political reform movement popularised public protests, thanked the authorities for maintaining peace and the demonstrators for their participation, wishing them safe travels home.

“As prime minister, I consistently adhere to the democratic principles of freedom of speech and expression,” he said on Saturday night.

“Criticism and differences of opinion should not be viewed through a lens of hostility, but rather allowed to germinate and flourish.”

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