Human Writes: Building back better in Malaysia in 2026

The Malaysian government’s pursuit of institutional reforms has been criticised for being slow, but a 'new wave' of reforms, including key Bills in 2026, likely signals a pivotal shift. — Filepic/The Star

Public trust in governments is at a low point globally, including in Malaysia. It should come as no surprise. We’ve endured one of the world’s greatest financial scandals in 1MDB, a political rollercoaster of three prime ministers in three years, and a “backdoor government” many saw as a betrayal of voters, before we ended up with a fragile coalition of archrivals. Add to that selective justice and divisive politics.... 

The days of governments commanding strong trust are gone. Consider: Two decades ago, Barisan Nasional solidly dominated the government. In the 2004 General Election, it secured 198 of 219 parliamentary seats. In the last election, in 2022, it took just 30 seats.