Public trust in governments is at a low point globally, including in Malaysia. It should come as no surprise. We’ve endured one of the world’s greatest financial scandals in 1MDB, a political rollercoaster of three prime ministers in three years, and a “backdoor government” many saw as a betrayal of voters, before we ended up with a fragile coalition of archrivals. Add to that selective justice and divisive politics....
The days of governments commanding strong trust are gone. Consider: Two decades ago, Barisan Nasional solidly dominated the government. In the 2004 General Election, it secured 198 of 219 parliamentary seats. In the last election, in 2022, it took just 30 seats.
The trust deficit now spans the entire political spectrum, as shown in recent polls in Sabah. Also, survey results released in December by global market research company Ipsos showed that “politician” is the least trusted profession in Malaysia.
Some cynicism is healthy, but a dearth of public trust is worrying – it threatens democracy and fuels radicalism. We become more fractured and ungovernable.
Can we rebuild trust? I believe so, and that’s my hope for 2026. Imperative to do so is addressing corruption credibly and improving integrity, fairness, and transparency. I’m not hoping for “nobler” politicians – I’m not that idealistic! I’m looking towards our institutions.
We need governance anchored by strong, independent institutions that serve public interest, regardless of who is in power. In this respect, 2025 ended on a high note. The High Court’s guilty verdict in former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB corruption case demonstrated institutional resilience, proving that no one is above the law. Those complicit in the case must also face a reckoning, and the institutional weaknesses that allowed such large-scale corruption to take place must be addressed.
Our institutions have been successively weakened over the years by political interference and loss of autonomy. Some key regulatory and enforcement agencies have been heavily politicised.
The current government’s pursuit of institutional reforms has been criticised for being slow, but a “new wave” of reforms, including key Bills in 2026, likely signals a pivotal shift.
The Government Procurement Act 2025, passed last August, is a groundbreaking move for open competition in public spending. Two landmark Bills passed – the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Parliamentary Service Bill 2025 – will strengthen Parliament’s independence and oversight. (Since 1992 Parliament has, administratively and financially, been under the Prime Minister’s Office.) The Bills were praised by Bersih for being a “historic step” towards Parliament’s autonomy.
The first Bill expected in 2026 is a landmark move to separate the roles of the Attorney General and public prosecutor to avoid conflicts of interests. It has received strong support from the legal fraternity.
Also important is the Political Financing Bill, to regulate contributions and promote transparency, thus curbing corruption and opaque donations.
Other upcoming Bills include the Freedom of Information Bill to enable wider access to information about the government, the Ombudsman Bill to protect whistleblowers and support independent investigations, and a Bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years.
All this may kindle the systemic change we need – a system that helps ensure the right thing is done, rather than just hoping individuals choose to do it.
I believe radical transparency is critical for our progress. For so long, money trails in government have been murky labyrinths, full of opaque deals hidden from the public.
For example, a proposed housing development by the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve was only discovered by nearby residents when they were contacted for a Social Impact Assessment. This ignited a public outcry and calls for full disclosure of the project’s chronology and sale price. Residents cite traffic and environmental risks, and have questioned if an open tender and relevant consultations took place.
Given the site’s steep terrain and increasing flood risks, transparent planning for such developments is essential.
Civil society is watching. If the Federal Government delivers on core reforms in 2026, “Malaysians can begin to believe that integrity is no longer episodic, but embedded”, Transparency International Malaysia president Raymon Ram told Reuters recently. “If not, the risk is clear ... and public trust will continue to erode.”
Hopefully these reforms will begin to banish shadowy grey areas in this country’s administration and shine a light on good governance.
