COMMENT | Cabinet reshuffle: Catalyst for change or continuity?

COMMENT | The long-awaited and much-discussed cabinet reshuffle has taken place against a backdrop of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s declining popularity.

Speculation has centred around several trigger factors, including not just a dip in Anwar’s approval ratings but also the need to appease various political factions within the coalition. This has resulted in what’s being seen as a compromised cabinet aimed at balancing representations.

Among the critical reasons fuelling this shift was the outcome of the August state elections, which confirmed a decline in support from ethnic Malay voters since the November 2022 general election.

Many were unhappy with how the cabinet dealt with...