Anwar’s 'fake it till you make it'

While Anwar Ibrahim and his followers want everyone to believe that Malaysia is well on the way to becoming a paradise on earth under his rule, the reality on the ground paints a very different picture.

On the very first day that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Account 3 opened for registration, EPF offices across the country reported long queues as desperate B40 workers eagerly signed up for the opportunity to withdraw a modest RM50 or RM100 from their retirement savings, probably to do something simple like pay a sick child's medical bill or to return to their hometown for festivities.

A few days later, Anwar confidently announced that the economy had grown faster than expected in the first quarter of 2024 and that it would meet or exceed growth expectations for this year.

Of course, one might ask: If the economy is doing so well under Madani-Nomics, why are so many of the B40 so eager to withdraw a modest RM50 or RM100 from their retirement savings? Why can’t the B40 just get the RM50 or RM100 they need from the splendidly growing economy?

In Anwar's reign, what you believe and not what you experience is the final arbiter of reality.

Even when lawyers receive death threats for doing their jobs, even when footballers are attacked, even when petrol bombs are thrown at public buildings, even when police stations, even the Istana Negara itself, are threatened with violence, you should be happy in the belief that Anwar is the awaited messiah.

When Anwar says he had nothing to do with Ahmad Zahid Hamidi receiving not one but 47 discharges all in a single day, you just have to believe that Zahid is that lucky.

If Anwar says that due process was strictly followed in the partial pardon of Najib Razak, there is no reason why you should not believe that, unless you lack faith.

If anti-graft officers knocked on Radzi Jidin’s door after he got into a shouting match with Anwar in Parliament, it's just a coincidence.

If Anwar says that he promised to lower petrol prices only 15 years ago, you should accept his statement as the gospel truth, even if there is a video that clearly shows that he promised to do so only a little over a year ago.

If Anwar’s life story teaches us anything, it's that what we believe will one day come true if only we believe hard enough in the dream we have for ourselves, to the point that we are even willing to lie to ourselves to believe it's true.

Anwar believed that it was his destiny to become the prime minister of Malaysia. In the end, he did it, despite all the difficulties he had to face to claw his way into the highest office in the land.

I suspect that Anwar hopes in the same way, that if we believe hard enough that he can solve all the country’s problems, even if our experience tells us that Anwar will only make them worse, they will one day come true.

If we believe that we have what it takes to be a champion, and if we practise improving every day until we are better than all others, then that kind of belief will not only take us to the next level, but will inspire everyone around us to improve as well.

However, if we only believe out of an illusion that it is our destiny to be at the top, assuming that the entire universe is responsible for making our dreams come true, then we become a burden to ourselves and everyone around us.

The problem with those who fake it till they make it is that even when they make it, they are still fake.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.