Replacing Malaysia’s race-based policies will get Anwar nowhere

Hwok-Aun Lee is a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and co-coordinator of its Malaysia studies program.

At his first news conference as prime minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim gave assurances that he would safeguard the special privileges of the country’s Malay majority and the position of Islam as stipulated in the national constitution.