Pakatan Harapan

First Transition and Collapse · Chronicle · 7 min read

Why Did the 2018 Election Change Government?

Mahathir Returns to the Forefront, Anwar Still in Prison, and the Night the 61-Year Rule Ended

On May 9, 2018, Pakatan Harapan secured a parliamentary majority, and Barisan Nasional lost federal power for the first time. Mahathir was sworn in the next day, and Anwar was subsequently pardoned; this decisive transition proved that power could be changed through the ballot box, but it did not automatically resolve the succession and trust issues between the two men.

First Transition and Collapse · Treatise · 11 min read

What Was Tabung Haji Financial Crisis?

Pilgrimage Savings, Red Alerts, and an Overdue Investigation Report

A bonus table brought Tabung Haji's most difficult question to the forefront: when assets were no longer sufficient to cover liabilities, why could the highest bonus still reach thirteen months? This is not an article against Tabung Haji, but one demanding it be worthy of the trust placed in it.

First Transition and Collapse · Chronicle · 6 min read

Harapan's Twenty-Two Months: Why the First Term Was Never Stable

Old Books Opened, Undi18 Passed, Yet the Succession Date Was Never Written Down

Pakatan Harapan's first stint in power saw both reforms and delays. Parliament unanimously passed Undi18 and automatic registration, while 1MDB and Tabung Haji accounts were reinvestigated; but ICERD, the Rome Statute, Mahathir's handover to Anwar, and Bersatu's anxieties dragged the first transition government toward fracture.

First Transition and Collapse · Chronicle · 2 min read

The Sheraton Move: How a Government Emerged Without an Election

A Hotel Dinner, Mahathir's Resignation, and How Muhyiddin Became the Eighth Prime Minister

In February 2020, Bersatu exited Pakatan Harapan, Azmin's faction left PKR, and Mahathir's resignation dissolved the cabinet. After the King assessed MPs' support one by one, Muhyiddin was sworn in on March 1; the change of government followed constitutional procedures but without a new national vote.

Unity Government and Reform · Treatise · 6 min read

What Is the Unity Government Reform Scorecard as of July 2026?

Some Promises Became Law, Some Are Stuck at the Door, and Some Decisions Directly Consumed Reform Credibility

Anwar's government cannot be evaluated with just the word "stability" or "reform." The restoration of the Parliamentary Services Act and procurement legislation have yielded results; the constitutional amendment limiting the prime minister's term failed to get two-thirds, and the separation of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor's powers is still underway. Zahid first received a DNAA, and prosecutors later decided on no further action (NFA), making it the critical case testing prosecutorial independence and the Unity Government's conflict of interest.

Unity Government and Reform · Debate · 11 min read

Chinese Political Parties in Reformist Coalitions: Stay or Leave?

Broken coalition promises and successive electoral defeats—is staying in government one more day pushing reform from within, or simply eroding credibility? Six debaters, open debate, and three observers

In August 2026, the largest Chinese political party within Malaysia's reformist coalition held a special party congress to vote on whether to remain in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government. The catalyst was the August 1 Negeri Sembilan state election, in which the reformist coalition secured only 11 of 36 seats, losing decisively to a coalition of UMNO and allied parties. Those favouring continued participation argue that withdrawal would hand victory to a more conservative opposition, endangering minority communities; those advocating exit contend that unresolved corruption cases, repeated delays in Attorney-General reform, and unfulfilled promises mean staying merely exchanges trust for empty seats with no substantive negotiating power.