The King Without a Tribe?

 

Every leader dream of being the chosen one! Anointed by destiny, embraced by his people, and immortalized by their faith. But sometimes, fate plays a cruel joke. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s prime minister ascended the throne without the blessing of his own tribe — the Malays. 

In the 15th General Election (GE15), Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured only about 11% of Malay votes. Then came the state elections in six states (PRN 2023) — a political reality check — where 83% of Malay voters chose Perikatan Nasional (PN) instead. Even in his own bastion of Selangor, PN swept 22 state seats and bagged a staggering 73% of Malay support. Across Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu, PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) were trounced. The army, the police, Felda settlers — all overwhelmingly Malay, all turned away. 

Source: https://www.wikiwand.com

Anwar, the reformist prophet once cast into political exile, now finds himself crowned at last — only to discover that his kingdom does not believe in him. For decades, Anwar was the voice of Malay empowerment within UMNO, the man who could quote both Imam al-Ghazali and George Orwell in a single breath. But as the tides of identity politics hardened, his multiracial idealism became a liability, his reform agenda mistaken for betrayal. The Malays — his people — drifted toward the comfort of green flags and simpler certainties. 

There’s an old Malay proverb that says, “Harimau mati meninggalkan belang, manusia mati meninggalkan nama” — a tiger leaves its stripes, a man leaves his name. But what happens when a man’s name no longer resonates with his own kin? Anwar’s struggle is no longer about policy or performance; it’s about belonging. He is Malaysia’s first “untribed” prime minister — accepted by the minorities, tolerated by the elites, yet orphaned by the majority. He talks of Madani values — compassion, reform, inclusivity — but the people he most wishes to persuade hear only the echo of alien tongues. The political home he seeks — the Malay heartland — no longer waits at the shore with open arms. He must understand their concerns and insecurities, namely: 

-cost of living;

-housing;

-employment; and

-the NEP and its relevance or otherwise

And he doesn’t have much time to gain traction with his tribe without losing minority support. The good news for him is that the opposition is also imploding. 

To be fair, Anwar’s dilemma is not unique. Leaders from Mandela to Nehru, even Churchill, all wrestled with moments when their people turned skeptical. But in Malaysia’s fractious landscape, being a leader without the backing of your own tribe is like being a general without an army. 

Reference:

OPINION | The King Without a Tribe — Anwar’s Mythical Struggle for Acceptance, Mihar Dias, Newswav, 27 October 2025