KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 ― The good appraisal by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar on the credibility and leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister shows the confidence of the royal institution on the reformation being carried out by the government.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics Perdana Centre political analyst, Dr Mazlan Ali is of the view that the evaluation by Sultan Ibrahim was made based on His Majesty’s experience as well as the current ties between the federal government and the states especially Johor compared to the earlier administrations.

Mazlan said the good assessment by the Sultan of Johor clearly shows the style of governance highlighted by Anwar, among which he is willing to discuss and listen to views on matters related to national interests, including his firmness in fighting corruption, which was well-received not only by the people but his acceptance also 'permeated' all the way to the palace.

"This statement by Sultan Ibrahim is certainly based on the nature of Tuanku as the head of state and as the Sultan of Johor who generally plays a role in the federalism system, which is the relationship between the Federation and the state.

"With extensive experience on matters of federalism, the statement by the Sultan shows that the Unity Government led by Anwar is already on a very good track and is seen as a government capable of driving the country's growth and progress back on the right track,” he told Bernama.

He was commenting on the statement of Sultan Ibrahim who described the relationship between the federal government and Johor as fast improving under Anwar's leadership, in fact, the cooperation was better than any of the previous prime ministers.

Sultan Ibrahim in an interview with a local newspaper yesterday was also quoted as saying that he wants the unity government to clean up corrupt practices which were described as a 'cancer' that needs to be removed regardless of who is involved.

Commenting further, the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics senior lecturer said the statement by the Sultan of Johor may also take into account opportunities and effects from a commercial and economic point of view for the state of Johor, the effect of the good relationship between the federal government and the state that has been built.

"As a person who leads a state that is one of the most advanced and closest to Singapore, Tuanku Sultan certainly sees many opportunities from a trade and economic point of view that will be enjoyed by the people... so Tuanku made such a statement in my view, is an honest revelation based on his experience in government, especially those related to state affairs with the Federation,” he said.

In regard to the statement that the Unity Government wants to clean up corruption regardless of who it is, Mazlan said it was based on his confidence in Anwar's determination and consistency in doing 'reforms' and fighting corruption for a long time.

"I believe Sultan's statement is based on his confidence in the determination, efforts and actions made by Anwar as Prime Minister in cleaning the country from corrupt practices and ensuring better governance and administration,” he said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the appreciation shown by the Sultan of Johor to the Tenth Prime Minister gave a clear signal that the unity government led by Anwar was moving towards the political and administrative stability that the people wanted.

Therefore, he said, the Unity Government should be supported by all parties by providing added value to the reforms that have been and will be implemented by the government in addition to giving space to Anwar's Cabinet to repair the country's governance.

He said Anwar is also on the right track when the Prime Minister steered and administered the Unity Government in a better and whole direction, even though the government was formed through a combination of various parties and different ideologies.

In addition, Sivamurugan thinks that Sultan Ibrahim's appreciation also shows Anwar's leadership style that practices of participatory negotiation and accommodation are effective in implementing matters, especially related to the people's agenda.

He said the appreciation and good evaluation given to the Prime Minister was certainly driven by feedback and a quick response to be followed by action or an implementation plan for a proposal submitted by His Majesty.

"In this regard, Anwar is also seen as practising consensus, which ultimately guarantees that the people's agenda can be given priority,” he said and added that this also proves Anwar's credibility as a competent Prime Minister. ― Bernama