Who Will Be Malaysia’ s Next PM?

 

There are several potential Prime Ministers — each one a fascinating species in the zoo of Putrajaya and these may include:

 

1. Dr Mahathir Mohamad – The Maverick

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is like that recurring nightmare you can’t quite shake. At 100, he has defied not just age but logic. Having already been Prime Minister twice, he now seems to think Malaysia is his unfinished chess game!

 

If you believe in ghosts, then yes — and he will haunt Anwar’s premiership till the end of time.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

 

2. Anwar Ibrahim – The Incumbent “Reformist”

After waiting 25 years, getting jailed, betrayed, Anwar finally became PM — only to find out that power doesn’t come with a magic wand. Between Rafizi’s economic spreadsheets, Zahid’s political life insurance, and PAS screaming “liberal” at everything, his Madani government is less “Reformasi” and more “Kita Cuba.”

 

Will he survive a full term? Or will he become yet another interim PM with good speeches and bad karma? As always, Anwar remains the nation’s most eloquent “maybe.”

 

3. Khairy Jamaluddin – The Politician in Self-imposed Exile

KJ, Malaysia’s most telegenic un-elected leader, has done everything — run ministries, fight pandemics, lift weights, wear tailored batik, and now, hosts a podcast.

After being exiled from UMNO, he now roams the corporate wilderness like “John the Baptist” for destiny to call. Still popular, still dangerous to mediocre men in suits, Khairy is one GLC appointment or sudden by-election away from a spectacular comeback.

 

4. Rafizi Ramli – The Spreadsheet Samurai

Rafizi brings Excel to a knife fight. With formulas, models, and a commitment to reality that Malaysian politics finds deeply offensive, Rafizi is the Cassandra of PKR. PM material? Yes — if Malaysians ever decide data is sexier than drama.

 

5. Nurul Izzah – The Reformasi Disciple

Nurul Izzah is a paradox: beloved, capable, but somehow always almost powerful.

She’s the candidate of choice for middle-class liberals who use the phrase “civil society” unironically. But will Malaysia elect its first woman PM, or is she destined to be the nation’s permanent moral compass? Moral compass, more likely.

 

6. Zahid Hamidi – DNAA Expert

Umno’s most resilient man, Zahid Hamidi is living proof that legal entanglements are just performance art in Malaysian politics. He’s gone from facing dozens of charges to being Deputy PM.

 

With a permanent grin and a survival instinct rivalling cockroaches, Zahid’s path to the top is always theoretically open — especially if PMX takes a long lunch and the Agung blinks.

Will Malaysians accept him as PM? No, not for the middle class!

 

 7. Muhyiddin Yassin – The “Sheraton” PM

With Sheraton and COVID, Muhyiddin did the “Abah” dance. He still looms in the background like a retired uncle who might still own a golf course… or a political party. Could he come back? If Bersatu can’t resolve between him and Hamzah, then “yes”!

 

8. Syed Saddiq – The TikTok Candidate

 

Young, handsome, and fluent in both English and Insta filters, Syed Saddiq is still the best thing to happen to Malaysian political aesthetics. Unfortunately, his idealism is matched only by his electoral fragility. As leader of Muda, he speaks passionately on education, climate, and mental health — not the issues for Kelantan! PM one day? Yes — if Malaysia turns into a corrupt-free nation.

 

9. Najib Razak – From Bossku to Boss?

Najib Razak, the dark horse in the PM race? Though currently enjoying a government-funded sabbatical at Kajang Hilton, he may get to serve his sentence from the comfort of his own living home. Redemption is never further than a legal loophole and a forgiving voter base. If “Bossku” returns, it won’t be justice — it’ll be déjà vu. And PMX is really in trouble and Zahid Hamidi is out.

 

In Malaysia, as in some parts of the world including the U.S., the Prime Minister isn’t necessarily the best, the brightest, or the most qualified — just the last person left standing after the musical chairs stop spinning. But current PMX has the best chance yet, if he reverts to implementing Reformasi in any form or shape. And he also has the inside knowledge when the music will stop.

 

However, remember in this zoo, the animals pick the zookeeper. (And I have excluded the likes of Hadi Awang, Ismail Sabri or other personalities from Sabah or Sarawak for various reasons)

 

Reference:

Opinion: Who Will Be Malaysia’s Next PM? Dr D. Ananda, https://newswav.com, 1 Aug 2025