Faced with street protests calling for him to resign amid a rising tide of public discontent, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has challenged the opposition camp to present a no-confidence vote against him.
More than 20,000 protesters marched through Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, demanding Anwar’s resignation in an opposition-led rally, the first he has faced since becoming prime minister.
The opposition has accused him of failing to deliver on election promises and mismanaging the economy.
On Sunday, Anwar directly addressed opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin’s hints that a no-confidence motion was looming, saying he welcomed the opportunity to prove his parliamentary support.
“Be my guest, we welcome it,” Anwar said to reporters. “This is the right process. If he wants to table it, then table it. He has been saying he wants to do it for three years now.”
The opposition bloc, comprising Islamist party PAS and Malay nationalist party Bersatu, has consistently questioned Anwar’s control of Malaysia’s 222-seat parliament since his appointment as prime minister in November 2022. Hamzah has repeatedly suggested he will initiate a no-confidence motion “any time; tomorrow, next week or next election”.
