KUALA LUMPUR — Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has blamed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for the federal administration’s inability to de-escalate rising ethnic and religious tensions within the country.
Speaking on the latest episode of KiniTV’s Explain Sikit podcast, Rafizi claimed that the prime minister has repeatedly prioritized political compromises with Umno over directly tackling divisive societal matters. He specifically pointed to the handling of Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh during the 2024 KK Mart socks incident, framing it as a turning point where delayed leadership intervention allowed partisan friction to build over time.
According to Rafizi, the current administration’s communication strategy lacks narrative leadership, which inadvertently creates an ideological vacuum. He argued that while the vast majority of citizens prefer focusing on economic realities and the cost of living, the absence of an aggressive, engaging national economic narrative allows peripheral groups to fill the void and dominate public discourse with identity politics.
To counteract this systemic trend, Rafizi proposed reviving institutionalized, cross-sectional councils comprising political, religious, and civil society leaders. He plugged the historical success of the National Goodwill Council (Majlis Muhibbah Negara), which was formed under the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman following the civil unrest of May 13, 1969, to stabilize societal relations through collective accountability.
Co-guest Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who recently left PKR alongside Rafizi to lead the newly formed political entity Parti Bersama Malaysia, reinforced the sentiment. He noted that Malaysia continues to inherit structural vulnerabilities from long-standing, race-based political frameworks, urging contemporary leaders to prioritize long-term national stability over yielding to populist demands.
You can watch the full discussion regarding this political shift and their critique of the current administration’s approach to ethnic issues in the KiniTV Interview with Rafizi and Nik Nazmi. This broadcast provides the direct commentary and context regarding their newly launched political party, Bersama.
