COMMENT | When Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as the 10th prime minister on Nov 24, 2022, Malaysians were hopeful of evocative reforms and change - traits he had advanced during his political career and later in his election campaign.

His unity government had more than 150 lawmakers, giving a two-thirds majority in Parliament to push through his agendas.

Malaysians were impressed with the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, which, among others, alluded that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would be elected.

It said: “The Harapan government will work hard to empower democracy and transparency in DBKL through systematic methods. This effort will ensure that all Malaysians can elect representation that is reliable, inclusive, and represents the interests of the people, not the developers.”

Among the most protuberant undertakings...