2024: Another year of U-turns and broken promises

This year was once again peppered with statements and decisions by the Anwar Ibrahim administration that have spurned the spirit of reform and violated his various promises of the past two decades.

MalaysiaNow looks back at some of the news that turned the former opposition leader's reformasi slogan into an object of ridicule.

January

Turncoat MP brought into government
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz was appointed to lead the food prices and cost of living committee under the national action council on cost of living, in what is seen as a reward for his declaration of support to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Frequent overseas trips
Anwar continued to travel abroad, which critics described as unnecessary. He travelled to 16 countries in 2024, raising questions about how they benefit Malaysia's economy as well as on the costs of the trips involved. Criticism was further fuelled by Anwar's admission that several private companies had sponsored the government's trips.

February

Former MP investigated under Sedition Act
Former Damansara MP Tony Pua was probed under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for allegedly insulting the royal institution regarding the pardon for ex-prime minister Najib Razak.

March

Anwar's former aide emerges as HeiTech Padu shareholder
Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak was revealed to possess a 15.9% stake in HeiTech Padu Bhd, which later won a RM892.19 million contract for the National Integrated Immigration System by the immigration department.

April

Sedition Act used on activist
Badrul Hisham Shaharin was arrested and charged with sedition for discussing a Bloomberg report on a proposal for a casino in Forest City, Johor.

May

Delayed 'justice'
Despite dashcam video showing deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong being assaulted by a policeman escorting the entourage of Johor regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the attorney-general has remained silent for months to prosecute the culprit. Policeman Taufik Ismail was only charged five months later after protests from rights groups and disabled support groups. Critics also questioned the anonymity he was granted as officers shielded him from the press before he was let out with a RM1,000 fine.

June

Diesel hike
Despite Anwar's decades of promises to slash fuel prices if he came to power, Putrajaya scrapped blanket subsidies for diesel, causing the fuel widely used in the logistics sector to rise to an all-time high of RM3.35 per litre.

July

FT mufti bill tabled 
The Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill 2024 was described as unconstitutional for limiting the role of mufti to individuals from the Ashairah and Maturidiyyah schools of thought, apart from criticism that it usurps the power of the Agong in federal Islamic matters. The second reading of the bill was postponed following vehement opposition.

Speaker refuses to vacate seats of turncoat MPs
Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul rejected Bersatu's request to vacate the seats of its six MPs who ceased to be party members after declaring support for Anwar, despite the anti-party hopping law providing for by-elections for these seats.

August

Social media licence announced

The communications ministry announced licences for social media services effective 2025. The move was criticised over concerns that it would open the door to government abuse in order to silence critics. It was also expected to affect press freedom and freedom of expression, even as Malaysia fell 34 places in the World Press Freedom Index.

Pro-Palestine activists arrested
Two pro-Palestine activists were arrested at a gathering for carrying a "sensitive" placard urging Putrajaya to cancel an agreement to bring in Israeli-friendly investment giant BlackRock to partner Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd.

Muhyiddin charged under Sedition Act
The former prime minister was charged in relation to remarks said to concern 3R issues during a ceramah for the Nenggiri by-election.

October

Ex-Umno man investigated
Former Umno leader Isham Jalil was investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and his handphone confiscated after saying that Anwar should sue Bloomberg.

Citizenship amendments passed
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed in the Dewan Rakyat, effectively doing away with the protection previously given to stateless children born in Malaysia.

'Father of the nation' forgives Najib
Anwar defended his move to accept the apology tendered by Najib while describing himself as the "father of the nation". Najib had apologised but pleaded not guilty to wrongdoing in the 1MDB scandal.

November

Criticism over billion-ringgit lease for choppers
The government's decision to lease 28 helicopters for use by government agencies for RM16.5 billion sparked further controversy when it was linked to the owner of Weststar Aviation, who helped Anwar during the previous general election through the loan of a helicopter for campaign purposes.

U Mobile wins contract for second 5G network
The government awarded the second 5G network project to U Mobile, a company linked to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar through his holding of shares. The decision sparked controversy, especially as several big names in the local telecommunications industry were sidelined.

December

More amendments to curb free speech
The amendment to the Communications and Multimedia Act, described by many as regressive, restricted freedom of expression online and gave the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission sweeping powers which critics said was akin to bringing back the fake news act "through the backdoor".

Rosmah Mansor acquitted
The Kuala Lumpur High Court freed Najib's wife of 12 charges of money laundering and five of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board, in another acquittal of a public personality who was charged after Barisan Nasional's downfall.

Anwar criticises 2018 prosecutions
The prime minister said prosecutions made in several cases after the 2018 general election were "flawed and hasty".

Government withdraws Zahid's DNAA appeal
The Attorney-General's Chambers withdrew the prosecution's appeal against the decision to acquit Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of corruption in his foreign visa system case.

Fahmi under police investigation
Activist Fahmi Reza came under a sedition investigation after a graphic linked to the appointment of Musa Aman as the new Sabah governor.