PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed a preference for clean stalls and hawker places over building high-rise landmarks, suggesting leaders should prioritise what matters for the masses rather than "kissing babies when elections are near."
He spoke at the launch of Kota Madani, an integrated RM4bil initiative by Putrajaya Holdings to provide housing for 10,000 civil servants, facilitated by the government.
"I don’t want to be the kind of leader who only visits hawker stalls or kisses babies two months before an election—because that’s when every politician suddenly becomes friendly, visits homes, and pretends to care.
"I want to put an end to that culture.
"That’s why, from as early as December 2022, every Friday without fail, I made it a point to visit stalls and hawker centres before heading to Friday prayers. This was not for show, but to nurture a consistent Madani spirit—to truly understand the people's priorities, not just performative gestures.
"This culture must be embedded, not just acted out during campaigns.
"This is why we need professional civil servants who are capable of thinking outside the box, not just repeating conventional ideas like building taller and taller skyscrapers.
"As I have said before, we already have our national landmarks—the Merdeka 118, KL Tower, Petronas Twin Towers. That’s enough.
"What I want to see now are clean and well-maintained stalls and hawker centres, because 80% of the people frequent them. Only about 20% can afford to dine at high-end restaurants.
"Let those big restaurants exist—but the government’s main focus should be on the everyday needs of the majority.
"If we can build world-class skyscrapers like the Twin Towers and Merdeka 118, surely we can also develop clean, safe hawker stalls around Kuala Lumpur.
"Unfortunately, this has not been the case—which is why it’s still difficult to find truly decent, accessible stalls for the average citizen in the city," said Anwar in his speech.
He said that although he was advised that a Prime Minister visiting stalls and hawker stalls went against protocols, he reminded the civil servants that what matters more is the masses, not his image.
"This isn’t about image—it’s about intention and sincerity.
"You are promoting a culture of continuous engagement, not seasonal populism. You want leadership that is present consistently, not only during election season; sincere and grounded, not obsessed with protocol.
"The people, especially the majority who rely on simple stalls and warungs, are deeply rooted in the values of Madani: compassion, humility, and accountability," said Anwar.
