From Malaysia’s book bans to Iran war, Anwar’s reform agenda faces sternest test

When Malaysia’s government announced a ban on two books in mid-April, the move raised eyebrows, with some questioning the intent of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration and his reformist credentials.

The home affairs ministry on April 16 declared that the books – one of which was a memoir of the grandmother to an ally of Anwar – were a danger to national security for containing communist elements and ideologies.

The decision triggered immediate pushback, predictably from civil society groups but also from members of Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, who argued that there was no basis for the ban, especially in the hyper-connected online age of easily accessible information.

Just days later, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he was in the process of revoking the ban on the two books and a separate prohibition against a translation of an academic study on Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, which was funded by the Selangor state government led by Anwar’s own People’s Justice Party (PKR).

“Honestly, [I’m] a bit surprised,” said Efan Hamza, a 26-year-old Anwar supporter.

“Anwar has always come across as someone open to different ideas. So banning a book feels slightly at odds with that reformist image. If you believe in ideas, why restrict them?”

The prime minister finds himself at an unenviable crossroads.

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