MELAKA — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today defended his coalition government from accusations of slow reforms, saying various changes for the better have been successfully implemented under his leadership.
Speaking at the 2026 PKR National Congress today, Anwar said other issues on the agenda require time and a phased approach to be realised.
Anwar, who is also PKR president, said changes that have been made should not be dismissed simply because there were still demands for other reforms yet to be implemented.
“I hope friends who are demanding change, please do so… but accept the fact that change has already taken place. We can list how much has been done.
“For the 60 years before this, things that should have been done were not done. So even if we criticise, urge or demand, we should not erase the fact that things have already been done,” Bernama reported him saying in his presidential policy speech at congress, held at the Melaka International Trade Centre.
“Some assume that we could change everything all at once.
“(But) we know that change must take root and be carried out in stages. This is not an excuse to avoid it. We are also learning, and I have always reminded (everyone), do not rush, as I have said in several Keadilan conferences and congresses,” he added
Also present were PKR and Madani Government leaders, including PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said reforms that have been implemented included amendments to the Audit Act 1957, the Parliamentary Service Act, the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023, the establishment of the Special Task Force on Agency Reform, as well as the enactment of the Consumer Credit Act and legislation relating to gig workers.
He said these achievements demonstrated that changes which had not been implemented for decades were now beginning to be realised within about three years of his administration.
However, he acknowledged that implementing reforms was not easy and that not all steps taken by the government had been perfect.
Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said he remained consistent in championing the reform agenda, which was among PH’s key demands, but the reality of forming a unity government after the 2022 general election required negotiations with other coalition parties.
He said PH, as the principal party in the government, had to take into account the positions and interests of its coalition partners to ensure the reform agenda could be implemented effectively.
Anwar said the reform approach also needed to take into account the prevailing political and administrative circumstances, including the need to ensure that changes had a strong foundation and could be implemented in stages.
The Prime Minister said the government would continue to strengthen the reform agenda based on its capabilities and prevailing circumstances, while ensuring that the changes implemented would benefit the people and strengthen the country’s institutions. — August 15, 2026