Thousands rally in Malaysia demanding PM Anwar's resignation

Ram Anand, Kok Leong Chan, Netty Ismail, Bloomberg News on Jul 26, 2025

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Thousands of Malaysians rallied in the nation’s capital demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over alleged unfulfilled promises and recent controversies surrounding his administration.

The protesters, numbering around 20,000 and led by opposition parties, gathered around Kuala Lumpur’s iconic independence square braving rain on Saturday. It marks the first major rally targeting Anwar since he took office in 2022, and the first mass protest since 2018.

Mahathir Mohamad, the 100-year-old former prime minister who was in office in 2018, headlined Saturday’s rally, where he questioned Anwar’s legitimacy, while pointing out that his government was made of a loosely cobbled alliance following inconclusive elections three years ago.

“You are not Prime Minister due to the people’s choice,” Mahathir said. “Now the people want you to resign, you don’t qualify to be PM anymore.”

Anwar, who helms a multiracial People’s Justice Party, faces criticism over rising costs of living, his recent handling of judicial appointments and attempt to seek immunity from civil suits in a sexual abuse allegation, among others.

Anwar appeared unperturbed by the protest, playing down its impact and saying he “was not invited” to the rally. The premier announced cash handouts for every Malaysian and gasoline price cuts just days before the rally, calling it an “appreciation package” for the people.

The location of the rally holds personal significance to Anwar. The square is the location where mass protests called “Reformasi,” meaning reform in Malay, broke out when Anwar was fired from Mahathir’s Cabinet amid sodomy and corruption allegations in 1998. Anwar’s longtime ally turned rival Azmin Ali — a key leader of the 1998 protests — also attended Saturday’s rally.

“Last time I held you up, today I will bring you down,” Azmin said.

The mostly ethnic Malay protesters chanted “Turun Anwar,” a call for him to step down, during the rally called by Malaysia’s Islamist opposition party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia. “They (Malays) feel pressured, that is why they are present here, and filled up this square,” Mahathir said.

Two weeks ago, hundreds of lawyers marched to Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya demanding judicial independence. However, the Malaysian Bar’s bid to hold Anwar accountable fizzled after an extraordinary general meeting on Saturday was called off due to lack of quorum, according to a report in Free Malaysia Today.

Anwar retains a supermajority in Parliament, leading a loose coalition of ideologically disparate parties, and has said he would not be impacted by calls to resign, pointing to a general election that needs to be called by early 2028. Several prominent non-governmental organizations on Friday distanced themselves from the rally, saying they do not endorse a mid-term change in government.

No Malaysian premier has served a full five-year term since 2018 as the Southeast Asian country was beset by political instability. Anwar, who is at the halfway point of his term, is already the longest surviving premier in seven years.