Unity in diversity: Anwar displaying a list of new Cabinet members on Friday night. The lineup has been welcomed as a reflection of the diverse unity government that the Rulers had suggested. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

You can’t please everyone all the time, but Malaysia has, at least, resolution and a way forward now.

IT’S infinitely unnerving when politicians rely on a combination of race and religious issues to garner support.

Social media is littered with videos of these politicians dangerously peddling their lethal and toxic sentiments to push their desperate agendas.

Unfortunately, these tactics appear to have worked for certain parties, as evidenced by the votes in the recent 15th General Election (GE15).

It may seem preposterous but there’s certainly a market for such toxic stories, buyers of which, tragically, include young voters.

The majority of Undi18 votes, unfortunately, went to those who advocated hard-line religious practices.

Ironically, one of the prime movers of Undi18, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, nearly lost his seat.

It’s one thing to attack corrupt politicians and suggest an alternative, but the treacherous level it has degenerated to is an entirely different prospect.

From promising a passage to heaven to Jewish plots and an alleged Chinese-led unity government, it has become a no-holds-barred onslaught.

The Prime Minister has found himself accused of being an Israeli spy, while others have been called LBGT+ supporters and communists, thanks to one imaginative and fertile mind.

Even the Rulers have been criticised, although in a more subtle way, but the tone of discontent is palpable. They have ignored the line, for sure.

The election is over. His Majesty called for a unity government with Perikatan Nasional – comprising Bersatu, with PAS – invited to join the government, but Perikatan declined.

It was no surprise because Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wouldn’t have fancied playing obliging subordinate to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was the choice of the Rulers for PM.

While Bersatu leaders have stated their preference to be in the Opposition, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s hysterical outbursts haven’t quite tickled Malaysians’ funny bones.

He may have 49 Members of Parliament but he must surely feel anguished at being out of power at the federal level, especially with such a big bloc of lawmakers.

But PAS needs to get a grip.

The events of GE15, which led to an inconclusive result, have proven that no single political coalition can form a government without the participation of all Malaysians, including Sabahans and Sarawakians.

No doubt Perikatan has won over the Malay heartland, especially the “fixed deposits” of Felda settlers, and even the Putrajaya constituency, the government’s seat.

But Perikatan can’t hope to form a government if the rest of the country doesn’t subscribe to PAS’ politics.

It’s unfortunate that the Opposition is now nearly all- Malay, but, fortunately, the government bench is more diverse. There’s obviously nothing for PAS to brag about.

The party needs modern and progressive leaders if it hopes to achieve its aim. It needs a kinder and more open narrative to win over the rest of Malaysia, and not just the East Coast of the peninsula.

PAS is arguably regarded as a party dominated by religious leaders with qualifications from West Asia, but lacking strong fundamentals in finance, economics and the sciences.

A constant barrage of statements reeking of Talibanism isn’t going to help them.

Umno will now need to work on its lost Malay ground. It must cleanse itself of its tainted and corrupt image which has scarred the party.

President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, like it or not, has plenty of work to do. He can’t preach the virtues of being in a unity government and be seen as the person who almost single- handedly killed Umno and Barisan Nasional.

Perlis fell to Perikatan by default, and now the state has a PAS Mentri Besar for the first time.

The polls are over. Malaysia needs to get back to work and brace itself for a tough 2023. There’s simply no time for unproductive politics.

It’s better for the new Federal Government to dedicate itself to making Malaysia a country we can all be proud of, with the rest of the world viewing us favourably.

Leave the dogmatic religious hardliners alone. Stop talking of banning PAS or arresting its leaders, as we will only create martyrs of them, an because, ultimately, it’s more important that the unity government proves its mettle.

If needed, appoint good PAS lawmakers who can contribute to their positions. Why not? There is good talent in all parties, and on both sides of the divide, too.

Let bipartisan politics be a part of a developing, mature democracy, where substance matters more than form.

As Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said in The Art of War, “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer”.

If the unity government is genuine, let it be an inclusive government.

Those of us who know Anwar will concur that he doesn’t give up on anyone. He will meet everyone, including those who’ve bad-mouthed him, to win them over.

His policy has always been that if he can’t have them aligned with him, he would want them to, at least, not oppose him. It will be harder this time, though.

Great expectations: Anwar – pictured here receiving congratulatory calls from world leaders in the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya – will have to move fast to heal a nation sick of politicking. — PMO

WE’RE clearly living in interesting but also strange times. When Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as Prime Minister, it was also nomination day for two seats.

They were the Padang Serai parliamentary and Tioman state seats, where voting had earlier been suspended following the deaths of two contenders.

Fascinatingly, Barisan Nasional, which is a member of the Unity Federal Government, is pitted against Pakatan Harapan, which helms the government.

They will face off in these two places. It will be interesting to see Barisan and Pakatan’s sales pitches. In fact, there will be state elections in Penang and Selangor in seven months, where the two sides will need to outwit each other. And if there’s a by-election in Sarawak, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which has joined the Federal Government, will find itself in the same awkward situation.

Just two weeks ago, Barisan was accused of being a corrupt coalition, along with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The slogan being bandied about then was a vote for Barisan equalled a vote for Ahmad Zahid, who faces a slew of corruption charges.

But in the past few days, he has been heralded as a saviour who made the unity government a reality. We’ve been encouraged to look at the “larger picture” – a tainted man is now rescuing us from PAS.

Suddenly, all is forgiven and forgotten. Barisan is no longer a party for traitors who sold their greedy souls for power.

There was despair earlier, when at one point reports circulated about Barisan being in the Opposition bloc.

Ahmad Zahid was also criticised by his rebellious ranks for Umno’s dismal performance, but they then found themselves labelled opportunists instead, for previously wanting to back Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as PM.

Ironically, Muhyiddin is the same guy who campaigned against Ahmad Zahid and corruption on his Perikatan Nasional platform. It worked perfectly, as Bersatu, along with PAS, swept the Malay heartland and crushed Umno’s vote bank, including in the Putrajaya parliamentary constituency, which fell to Perikatan.

Malay voters had obviously forgotten this was the same man who warned them about PAS.

But having 49 PAS MPs was enough to scare off many Malaysians. Not just non-Malays who voted overwhelmingly for Pakatan, but also many Malays, especially those in urban areas.

The fear of a “Green Tsunami”, as it’s now branded, with PAS theologians imposing its religious agenda, was just unpalatable for many.

For a while, those who gloated over Pakatan’s victory also privately wondered if it was a case of being careful what you wish for. They had presumed the rest of the country would share their political allegiance.

Pakatan was short of a simple majority while there was the possibility of Perikatan forming a Malay- and Islamic-centric federal government.

But God works in mysterious ways, goes the adage. Anwar, who was dismissed by many and seen as not fated to be PM, proved everyone wrong. He will turn out to be the best person to take on PAS MPs on the other side.

Anwar may not be a theologian, but he has credentials. He can quote Quranic verses with a smattering of Arabic, and he has plenty of Arab allies, too. Never mind his past controversies because we’re not voting for a priest or ulamak.

He is surely not an angel but a true-blue politician who will bend rules and principles. Ultimately, though, he’s the best of our lot.

It’s not easy to find a Malay leader who enjoys such strong support among non-Muslims.

But Anwar needs to work his charm on the conservative Muslims who voted for Perikatan. Like it or not, the number of combined votes earned by Perikatan, Barisan, GPS and GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) is much higher than those handed to Pakatan.

Meanwhile, PAS needs to take a hard look at itself to understand its optics problem. No party or coalition can hope to form a government by preaching to just one community or religion. It would be disastrous for multiracial Malaysia.

Politics is about selling hope, as Anwar successfully has done. The jury is still out on whether he will deliver on his promises to Malaysians, so we’ll have to hold him to that.

Many of us who gave up on Malaysia and its politicians have found that, finally, we can recover what we’ve lost and still salvage the situation.

Certainly, our Rulers have placed their faith in Anwar as the man who, in the opinion of the King, can command majority support in the House.

His Majesty has allowed Anwar to put together a unity government in the shortest time.

Now it’s up to Anwar, as the 10th PM, to prove he can hold the fort and steer us through the many challenges ahead, especially the strong economic headwinds.

He needs to fix our education system at all levels, as it has progressively gone down the drain. It won’t and can’t be done overnight, but it must begin now.

There’s no time for vindictive politics or rhetoric, which scarred the 22-month Pakatan government in 2018 and led to unprecedented apologies issued by the DAP recently to close a chapter with GPS.

The lesson learned here is that politicians shouldn’t be arrogant or resort to burning bridges. After all, no one knows what the future holds.

Let’s hope we see younger Malaysians such as Rafizi Ramli, Hannah Yeoh, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Steven Sim, with a balance of experienced MPs from Barisan and GPS, in the Cabinet. Possibly even technocrats appointed to certain ministries.

It’s wishful thinking, of course. If only Nurul Izzah Anwar, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz had won. And we hope for more women in the Cabinet.

Malaysia must move on. We are simply worn out from all the politicking.

There is little time for Anwar to celebrate. Time is not on his side. We want to see results, and quickly, too.

Congratulations Saudara Anwar Ibrahim and may you succeed in restoring Malaysia to its former glory!