Crunch time: Anwar meeting Tuaran residents on the campaign trail recently. While Pakatan’s performance in the Sabah polls may not be reflective of its position in the peninsula, the Madani government needs to deliver more tangible policy wins and real reforms, says the writer. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

THE political clock is ticking. For Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, 2026 has to be the Year of Delivery as Malaysia inches closer to the next general election.

Pakatan Harapan fared badly in the recent Sabah elections, and there are many reasons for it. However, the same barometer cannot be applied for the peninsula.

Without a doubt, there is unhappiness and anger among the core base of Pakatan supporters in the 2022 elections, although the sentiments in Sabah differ to some extent.

The Sabahan Chinese overwhelmingly backed Warisan but their peninsula brethren aren’t likely to choose the opposition Perikatan Nasional, especially not with PAS there.

In fact, even in Sabah, Bersatu led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin failed to win a single seat despite fielding 33 candidates.

Perikatan state chief Ronald Kiandee even lost in the state polls as the anti-Semenanjung sentiment swept through.

Although the focus has been on DAP because it lost all eight seats it contested, the fact is all peninsula-based parties suffered badly including Umno, although it did better than others.

PAS won its first ever seat in the state and while the Islamist party has reason to celebrate, it would be wrong to assume that the single symbolic breakthrough has translated into structural strength, political momentum or electoral viability, as analyst Phar Kim Beng pointed out.

“One victory, however headline-grabbing, does not establish PAS as a significant force in Sabah’s political landscape,’’ he wrote.

It was more likely that the voters picked Aliakbar Gulasan, the state PAS chief, as he is seen as a working candidate. Also, his challengers were not strong. PAS, in fact, lost in five other seats it contested.

Certainly, PAS’ uncompromising Islamic agenda was not the reason Aliakbar was picked.

That brings us back to the main point – if the peninsula Chinese voters are upset with the DAP, which they backed previously, will they now back the MCA via Barisan Nasional or Gerakan in Perikatan?

Or will they just stay away from the polling stations all together as a silent show of protest?

In the coming Sarawak state elections in 2026, the Chinese voters will also be deciding if they want to reject DAP and give all their support to Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).

It would be safe to say that the community will go the way of their Sabah neighbours, and stick to Sarawak-based parties.

Many have already written off Pakatan, especially DAP, but it must be remembered that one week is a long time in politics. A year is much longer – but it has to be used properly.

Anwar knows fully well that the restlessness is palpable, especially among his supporters and his reformist coalition.

Voters who once rallied behind the promise of sweeping reform now feel the weight of delay, compromise, and political fatigue. For Anwar, 2026 cannot be another year of careful calibration or incrementalism.

It is not easy to implement reforms if it involves laws and the Federal Constitution as laws need to be drafted and presented to Parliament.

Next year, the Constitution will be amended to allow for the separation of powers of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor.

Then, there is the two-term limit on prime ministerial tenures, which Anwar supports, but it has to be passed into law.

With the perception that the pace has been slow and limited, it is obvious the momentum on reforms has to be put on the fast track.

The PM campaigned as a reformer, and many expected early, bold shifts: judicial independence safeguards, anti-corruption reforms, a more transparent governance model, and depoliticisation of institutions.

Quick deliveries in 2026 are absolutely needed to rekindle support among the urban electorate. It must be a year of reform, delivery, and visible transformation – because the coalition’s support base is no longer satisfied with rhetorical commitment.

They want results.

Anwar came into office carrying a historical mandate: to fulfil a reform agenda that had animated Malaysian politics for two decades. But mandates are not indefinite, and public patience – even among the faithful – has its limits, even if such sentiments can seem unreasonable at times.

Supporters frustrated by rising living costs, perceived slow institutional reforms, and ongoing political horse-trading now question whether the reformist politics can survive Malaysia’s entrenched system.

If 2026 does not provide a clear breakaway moment – and an unmistakable acceleration of the agenda – disillusionment risks becoming disengagement at the ballot box.

It doesn’t help that the cost of living crisis is no longer a talking point; it is the central lived reality of Malaysian families.

Food prices, youth unemployment, and stagnating wages fall squarely into the category of issues that cannot be postponed.

Initiatives such as the one-off RM100 cash assistance SARA (Sumbangan Asas Rahmah) may be small to the more affluent Malaysians but for many Malaysian families, the amount when pooled together is regarded as generous.

The petrol assistance through BUDI Madani Ron95 targeted subsidy programme is also felt directly by the voters. It helps as it reaches the people directly and they remember.

Supporters are not demanding miracles – they are demanding movement – but the PM needs to announce good initiatives every few months, just as public-listed companies have to announce quarterly results to its shareholders.

There has to be swifter moves as they would be seen as decisive actual turning points from old political culture.

If reforms are not accelerated in 2026, the opposition will seize the narrative that the government has abandoned its ethos – and many supporters may quietly agree.

To be fair to Anwar, he has been able to steer the country well and has kept the unity government together for three years.

We had three PMs in five years but Anwar has stabilised a fragmented Parliament and contained the constant political turbulence of recent years.

No investor would put money on Malaysia if it is unstable politically – but stability is not a voter-moving achievement in itself. Malaysians do not go to the ballot box to reward neutrality; they vote based on direction. They want to know where the country is heading, not only that the ship has stopped rocking. They want to see and feel electoral promises, including reforms, being kept.

Ahead of the general election, Pakatan needs a strong and convincing narrative built on tangible wins – policies that make life better, institutions that become stronger, and corruption that becomes a thing of the past.

Anwar has to win back the core supporters in urban and semi-urban constituencies. Forget the PAS fans in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, they won’t vote for Pakatan no matter how much he tries to please them.

2026 is a make-or-break year. It is a year that demands courage, speed, and political will. He has to go to the polls with the strength of achievement rather than the memory of promises. But don’t be too quick to write off Anwar especially when the options are not palatable.

Malaysian hospitality: Let’s make all our visitors feel welcomed and appreciated as we kick off our VM2026 campaign. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

IT still remains a raging issue in social media although it’s already almost three weeks old. The case of an irate, Chinese-speaking customer who angrily threw a cup of coffee at a barista is still a hot story.

The viral video drew over two million views with Malaysians throwing their support behind the barista involved in the confrontation.

In a separate incident on Nov 17, an Indian tourist exploded and threw a tantrum when she was served a non-vegetarian burger at a McDonald outlet in Kuala Lumpur.

She claimed she was served a beef burger without clear labelling, saying it conflicted with her dietary restrictions.

In both cases, the videos led to heated discussions online with some arguments turning unnecessarily racist.

It’s true that mainland China tourists have had bad press in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. Some Indian tourists meanwhile have reportedly irked not only people in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, but also Thais, especially in Pattaya and Phuket, with their behaviour.

However, what took place at Zus Coffee and McDonald have been hugely amplified – it involved just two persons.

The reality is that in the first five months of 2025, Malaysia recorded nearly 1.8 million tourists from China, a significant increase driven by a visa waiver policy. Last year, 3.4 million Chinese tourists visited, a sharp jump from 1.6 million in 2023.

It is not by chance that Malaysia has become the number one tourist destination in Asean in 2024 with 38 million foreign arrivals, even surpassing Thailand.

This trend continued into early 2025, with Malaysia welcoming over 10.1 million international visitors in the first quarter while Thailand received 9.55 million, according to reports.

These China tourists spent an average of RM7,000 per person on a single trip, with overall Chinese tourism expenditure potentially surpassing RM30bil in 2025. Let the facts speak for themselves.

It is thus preposterous of PAS Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to ask in Parliament why Chinese tourists were given “preferential treatment”, even claiming that they get through the country’s entry points with little hassle.

Debating at the Dewan Rakyat on Aug 14, he claimed tourists from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia “were questioned extensively”.

Besides Malaysia, countries like Thailand and Singapore offer the same visa-free travel for China tourists as these Asean countries compete for the tourism money.

It has been reported that as of 2025, Chinese citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 85 countries and territories.

In Thailand, special fast track immigration counters for Chinese tourists have been set up at major airports like Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket and Chiangmai, with 79 Chinese-speaking tourist service centres.

Let’s be real. We cannot expect these Chinese tourists to speak to us in English or Bahasa Malaysia, when they order food or e-rides.

Likewise, when we visit the United States or Arab countries, they expect us to speak in English and we shouldn’t be upset if they don’t understand Malay or Chinese.

In fact, it is to our advantage if our travel guides, immigration and police are able to speak major languages proficiently, and they deserve to be rewarded for their efforts as they will make tourists feel welcomed – and become return customers.

It’s simple business sense. If you want their business, speak their language and capture their hearts – and pockets.

In 2023, Chinese travellers made roughly 101 million outbound trips abroad, according to reports.

The same year, expenditure by Chinese tourists abroad reached US$196.5bil (RM811.9bil), making China the top global spender in international tourism for 2023.

The outbound tourism market from China has seen rapid growth over the past decade – a doubling or more compared to 2010, according to older analyses.

Several factors explain why Chinese travellers often dominate global tourism spend:

• High total volume + frequency: With over 100 million outbound trips a year, even modest per-trip spending adds up to very large numbers.
• Strong spending per trip and on shopping: Many Chinese travellers spend generously on luxury goods, shopping, experiences – which drives up average spend abroad. According to some sources, Chinese tourists’ luxury goods purchases accounted for a large share of global luxury-market sales.

Then, there are the Indians. Growing affluence and consumption power over the last two decades has seen greater travel.

According to recent data, in 2024, a record 38.9 million Indians travelled abroad – a substantial increase over previous years.

This reflects a significant rebound from the pandemic slump, and marks a continuation of long-term growth in outbound travel from India.

Figures showed that in 2024, Indians spent about US$31.7bil (RM131bil) on international travel with Indian travellers increasingly drawn to South-East Asia, Middle East, and countries offering easier visa or travel arrangements – which also makes countries like Malaysia an attractive destination.

India is now considered one of the fastest-growing outbound tourism markets globally.

Like the Chinese, Indian tourists can enter Malaysia for tourism, business, social and transit purposes for up to 30 days under a visa waiver programme.

Malaysia welcomed over a million Indian tourists in 2024, with specific data showing 1,009,114 visitors between January and February 2024, according to reports, representing an increase of 71.7% from 2023 and a 46% jump compared to the same period in 2019.

India is now considered one of the fastest-growing outbound tourism markets globally.— ART CHEN/The Star

China’s population is roughly 1.41 billion while India is now the world’s most populous country with about 1.46 billion.

There will be well-heeled urban elites from cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as well as poorer ones from less affluent cities regarded as third-tier cities in China. It is the same with India.

If more and more hot pot restaurants have been set up in Kuala Lumpur, it is because there are entrepreneurs – Malaysians and mainland Chinese – who see the opportunities from these China tourist arrivals.

Cantonese cuisine, which used to be the preference of Malaysian Chinese, is now making way for the northern taste buds – with spicy and numbing seasoning of “Ma lat” – of mainlanders who come from colder parts of China.

If there are more and more arrivals from India, then there will be businessmen who will see the need to set up vegetarian restaurants at KLIA1 and KLIA2. It’s that simple. There is no need to make derogatory and racist remarks against Indian tourists, which does not help us a bit.

Tourists have a choice on where they should spend their money and whether they will feel welcomed.

Many tourists, including Malaysians, have talked about how unsafe Europe, including Paris and London, has become and grumbled about how we are subjected to unending questioning by US immigration despite being money spending tourists.

Let’s make all our visitors feel welcomed and appreciated as we kick off our “Visit Malaysia Year 2026” in around 31 days.

Let’s show them our Malaysian Hospitality.

Limited diversification: Kedah has an income problem, mainly due to its narrow economic base that is overly dependent on agriculture. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

WE don’t need a referendum for Penangites to decide if they wish to be placed under Kedah. It is a non-starter.

The latest attempt by Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to claim his neighbouring state has hardly generated any talk in Penang. No one takes his continued pursuit of a multi-million ringgit “lease payment” for Penang Island and Seberang Jaya seriously.

It’s nothing more than a political stunt to stay in the news. Penang’s sovereignty has long been settled under the Federal Constitution since 1957.

Sanusi has reportedly said Kedah was appointing a team to begin legal action over Penang’s relationship with Kedah, claiming the court action would be based on historical and legal grounds.

Legal and historical arguments aside, Penangites would never want their state to be placed under Kedah for reasons that go far beyond politics.

Identity, economics, governance style, and lived experience all shape how Penangites see themselves – and none of these align naturally with the idea of being administered from Alor Setar.

Penang is multiracial and cosmopolitan while Kedah, with due respect to its people, is near mono-ethnic and inward looking.

Penangites are fiercely proud of their state – to the point of being criticised as parochial – its multicultural heritage, food culture, iconic arts scene, and global reputation as a vibrant, modern city-region.

Penang’s identity is one of Malaysia’s most recognisable brands. To many Penangites, the suggestion of being absorbed into another state is absurd.

We treasure our lifestyles and quality of life. We are comfortable with international tourists, expatriates, and global companies.

Penangites are happy with their cinemas, pubs, cafés, and entertainment outlets, as well as open concerts, which PAS frowns upon.

The state is known for its fiercely independent thinking. Penang is the home of the country’s earliest newspapers, with the Prince of Wales Gazette printed in 1805.

The Penang-based Kwong Wah Yit Poh was founded in 1910 by Chinese revolutionary Dr Sun Yat Sen and is regarded as the oldest surviving Chinese daily.

The Star, too, was born in the state in 1971, as was the now-defunct Straits Echo, which began operations in 1903.

Then we have long-standing non-governmental organisations such as the Consumers’ Associa-tion of Penang (CAP), Aliran, and Sahabat Alam Malaysia, and illustrious leaders like the late SM Mohamed Idris, CAP’s president.

In fact, PAS itself was founded in Butterworth, Penang, on Nov 24, 1951, and was initially known as Persatuan Islam Sa-Malaya.

Penangites have thrown out three chief ministers and every CM knows that they will be placed under scrutiny. Penangites wouldn’t tolerate any half-baked leader with ludicrous suggestions such as “taking back” another state.

For decades, Penang has cultivated a reputation for relatively efficient local governance, economic planning, and progressive urban initiatives.

Penangites, accustomed to active civil society engagement, open debate, and an administration that positions the state as an economic hub, will never exchange that for governance under a completely different political culture, especially under PAS with its religious narratives.

Penang’s economy is powered by high-tech manufacturing, services, tourism, and international investment.

The state’s concerns revolve around maintaining competitiveness in global supply chains, improving public transport, and developing digital infrastructure.

Kedah, on the other hand, is listed among the poorest states in Malaysia and often cited as a state with high poverty, facing similar issues to Kelantan, with few job opportunities and little economic potential.

The state faces poverty due to a combination of factors, including a narrower economic base beyond agriculture, weaker governance, and socioeconomic disparities with limited diversification.

It has also been reported that weak governance is hindering Kedah and other states from attracting the necessary investments needed for development.

Kedah is also reportedly the second poorest state in terms of GDP in 2021, and, seriously, Sanusi should focus on doing a better job as MB.

Putting Penang under Kedah will simply mean being governed under a different economic framework and could slow progress, weaken investor confidence, and alter the direction of a state that is doing well.

Penangites are well aware of the historical connection to Kedah from centuries ago but that ended when the 1957 Federal Consti-tution was passed.

Likewise, there is no longer any requirement for Kedah to send “bunga emas” (golden flowers) to Thailand as a diplomatic tribute every three years, a practice that began in the 14th century and ended in the late 19th century.

Penangites have no time for fantasy claims. Sanusi’s reality check should be the state’s never ending poverty problems.

He has a lot to do to raise his state’s standards. He should be worrying about that, not fantasising about Penang.