Promises and Setbacks on Anwar's Path for Reform

Fulcrum editor Lee Hwok Aun and ISEAS Malaysia Studies Programme Coordinator Francis Hutchinson discuss Malaysia's long reform journey and the hits and misses of Anwar Ibrahim's administration, with Meredith Weiss, ISEAS Visiting Senior Fellow and Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY).

Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. For quick reference, the themes below were discussed:

2:14 – About Prof Weiss: beginnings of interest in Malaysia and Southeast Asia

5:12 – Important milestones in Malaysia’s reform journey

10:24 – Role of political leadership

15:10 – Most feasible and high-impact reforms for the Anwar administration

21:54 – Policy messaging and broad-based reforms

28:00 – Reform failures and missed opportunities

30:30 – Is Malaysian democracy maturing?

32:42 – What has civil society contributed and learned?

37:11 – Pakatan’s lack of sustained reforms compared to other countries

42:28 – Grading Malaysia’s reform achievement