Malaysia Madani (2023-)
Malaysia Madani is the name the Anwar Ibrahim government gave to its own governing framework after taking office in November 2022, and this page sets out what the framework says about itself, how it has been turned into policy, and how supporters and critics disagree about whether it has delivered.
what happened
Malaysia Madani is the name the government formed after the November 2022 general election gave to its own way of governing. Anwar Ibrahim launched it on 19 January 2023 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, presenting it as a mandate rather than a single policy: six core values arranged as an acronym of the Malay word madani, meaning a civilised society. In Malay those values are kemampanan, kesejahteraan, daya cipta, hormat, keyakinan and ihsan; in English government material they are given as sustainability, care and compassion, respect, innovation, prosperity and trust, under the mnemonic SCRIPT. Anwar told the launch that Malaysia needed "a new narrative and a mindset change," and described the approach as governance guided by good ethics, good governance, honesty and integrity, intended to transcend race, religion and political affiliation.
On 27 July 2023 Anwar launched a second, economic document, "Ekonomi MADANI: Memperkasa Rakyat," which set seven measurable ten-year targets: a top-30 economy, top 12 in global competitiveness, a 45 per cent labour share of income, 60 per cent female labour force participation, top 25 in the Human Development Index, top 25 in the Corruption Perceptions Index, and a fiscal deficit at or below 3 per cent of GDP. The label then spread through the machinery of government, from Public Service Department guidance on applying the values in the civil service to programme names such as the BUDI MADANI subsidy payments introduced with diesel subsidy targeting.
On the government's own numbers, some indicators have moved. The Ministry of Finance reports the fiscal deficit narrowing from 5.0 per cent of GDP in 2023 to 4.1 per cent in 2024 and 3.7 per cent in 2025, alongside 5.2 per cent growth in 2025, unemployment of 2.9 per cent and inflation of 1.4 per cent. Subsidy, tariff and tax changes in 2024-2025 are estimated to reduce the deficit by about RM25.5 billion a year, and the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act was enacted in November 2023.
Whether any of this vindicates the framework is where the disagreement sits. Economist Cassey Lee of ISEAS called the Madani Economy a useful vision and roadmap in 2023 while judging its index-ranking targets exceedingly ambitious and warning the label could become aspirational branding; in an assessment dated 25 May 2026 he pointed to external shocks and a narrowing political window before the state elections then still to come and the general election due by February 2028. Both of those state elections have since taken place, Johor on 11 July 2026 and Negeri Sembilan on 1 August 2026, so read that observation as it was written, in May. Noor Azlan Ghazali of MINDA-UKM counted progress on three of the seven aspirations and located the remaining challenge in implementation and communication rather than policy direction. Bridget Welsh, writing in Malaysiakini in 2024, described deficits of trust, communication, leadership and public support, and said trust among Anwar's own base was eroding. Global Voices set early achievements such as abolishing the mandatory death penalty against a rise in sedition cases counted by the Centre for Independent Journalism. From a different direction, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang rejects the concept's foundations outright, arguing that a genuinely madani order means Islam governing human affairs.
For a first-time voter the useful distinction is between the two questions. What Malaysia Madani says is documented and quotable: six values, seven targets, a set of speeches and programmes carrying the name. Whether it has worked is contested, and the contest runs along more than one axis — economists arguing about execution and external conditions, civil-society and opposition analysts arguing about reform and rights, and a religious-political objection to the framing itself. The figures in the middle section come from the government that owns the framework; the assessments around them come from named analysts who do not agree with each other.
the working
What the sources say
established
Anwar Ibrahim’s *Membangun Negara MADANI: Visi dan Kerangka Dasar Reformasi* states that its first printing was in October 2022, before GE15.
Digitised first-edition title page · FlipHTML5 copy identifying IDE Research Centre
established
The 15 February 2023 Public Service Department circular directed the use of “Malaysia MADANI” in government correspondence with immediate effect; government materials still listed the circular and current templates in 2026.
Public Service Department · Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru
established
An official government-hosted framework document, *Membangun Negara MADANI*, exists; a Ministry of National Unity framework identifies it and the National Unity Policy as its bases, without replacing sector-specific documents such as Ekonomi MADANI and the Malaysia Plans.
Department of Islamic Development Malaysia · Ministry of National Unity
established
Anwar Ibrahim became Prime Minister in November 2022 after the 2022 general election produced no single-coalition majority, and in January 2023 his administration presented "Malaysia Madani" as the governing framework of the new government.
Prime Minister's Office · PM Anwar: 'Malaysia Madani' blueprint spells new chapter for nation
established
The framework was launched publicly on 19 January 2023 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, in an address delivered as a national mandate themed on "developing Malaysia Madani."
PM Anwar: 'Malaysia Madani' blueprint spells new chapter for nation · Prime Minister's Office
established
The word "madani" is used by the government to denote a civilised or civil society, and the framework is officially described as an integrated and holistic effort to make policy and its implementation in Malaysia more human-centred.
established
The framework is built on six core values arranged as a Malay-language acronym of the word MADANI: keMampanan (sustainability), kesejAhteraan (prosperity or well-being), Daya cipta (innovation or creativity), hormAt (respect), keyakiNan (trust or confidence), and Ihsan (care and compassion).
Public Service Department (JPA) · MADANI: A robust framework with six core values
established
In English-language government and Bernama material the same six values are rendered with the mnemonic SCRIPT: Sustainability, Care and compassion, Respect, Innovation, Prosperity and Trust.
Nor Aini Abdul Rahman and Samsul Ariffin Abdul Karim · Public Service Department
established
At the launch Anwar said Malaysia needed "a new narrative and a mindset change," described the approach as governance guided by good ethics, good governance, honesty and integrity, and said it should transcend race, religion and political affiliation so that everyone has a fair chance.
established
Anwar directed Cabinet members and civil servants to apply the six values in administrative affairs, and the Public Service Department issued guidance on applying the concept within the public service.
established
On 27 July 2023 Anwar launched a second, economic document, "Ekonomi MADANI: Memperkasa Rakyat" (Madani Economy: Empowering the People), delivered at the Securities Commission.
established
The Madani Economy document sets seven medium-term targets to be reached within roughly ten years: a top-30 position among the world's largest economies; top 12 in the Global Competitiveness Index; labour share of income at 45 per cent; female labour force participation at 60 per cent; top 25 in the Human Development Index; top 25 in the Corruption Perceptions Index; and a fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of GDP or lower.
established
The Madani Economy is organised around two stated focuses — making Malaysia a leading Asian economy, and raising quality of life through wages, social protection, healthcare, education and housing — and Anwar's speech invoked the Medina Charter and a principle of justice in administration as part of its framing.
established
The MADANI label has been attached to specific programmes as well as to the framework, including the Program Bantuan Subsidi MADANI (BUDI MADANI) cash payments introduced with diesel subsidy targeting from 2024.
established
The Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which sets binding fiscal rules including a public debt ceiling, was enacted in November 2023 under this government.
established
The Ministry of Finance reports the federal fiscal deficit narrowing from 5.0 per cent of GDP in 2023 to 4.1 per cent in 2024 and 3.7 per cent in 2025, the latter beating the government's own 3.8 per cent target.
established
The Ministry of Finance reports GDP growth of 5.2 per cent for 2025, unemployment at 2.9 per cent and inflation at 1.4 per cent, and Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, attributed the results to the MADANI economic framework.
established
Fiscal measures taken in 2024-2025 — targeted diesel subsidy revision, electricity tariff revision, and sales and service tax changes — are estimated to reduce the deficit by about RM25.5 billion a year. Cassey Lee recorded that the Second Finance Minister said higher oil prices would raise the later BUDI95 RON95 subsidy cost from RM700 million to RM3.2 billion per month.
established
In a May 2023 parliamentary written reply, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Armizan Ali said RM7.4 million had been spent on the Malaysia Madani campaign to that point, most of it on advertising and billboards, compared with RM62 million allocated to the previous government's Keluarga Malaysia tour.
Putrajaya says spent RM7.4m so far for Anwar's 'Malaysia Madani' campaign
where accounts differ
The parts nobody agrees on
contested
Whether Malaysia Madani is a substantive governing programme or primarily a branding exercise is disputed. IIUM political analyst Syaza Syukri said in February 2023 that it is "definitely not something off the cuff but truly represents Anwar's idea of administration," while Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the unfamiliarity of the word "madani" means officials would have to explain it much as Abdullah Badawi had to explain "Islam Hadhari."
Can Anwar's Malaysia Madani concept succeed where previous slogans have failed?
contested
Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya argued in the same report that the concept needs to be mobilised through an implementation committee and reviewed for success and impact, rather than remaining at the level of policy language.
contested
Economist Cassey Lee of ISEAS wrote in August 2023 that the Madani Economy offers "a useful vision and roadmap" by attaching quantifiable targets to medium-term challenges, while also judging the ranking targets for the Human Development Index and Corruption Perceptions Index "exceedingly ambitious" and warning that the Madani label risks becoming aspirational branding as it is applied across many initiatives.
contested
Noor Azlan Ghazali of the Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute (MINDA-UKM) assessed in August 2026 that progress had been made on three of the seven Madani Economy aspirations — fiscal deficit, women's labour force participation and competitiveness — and said the framework's biggest challenge is no longer policy direction but keeping implementation and public communication in step with it.
contested
Political analyst Bridget Welsh argued in August 2024 that the Madani government suffers deficits of trust, communication, second-tier leadership and public support, writing that "trust among Anwar's Harapan political base is eroding" and that the government has not matched its reform language with substantive legislation.
contested
A December 2023 review by Mong Palatino for Global Voices Advox set reported achievements — abolition of the mandatory death penalty, decriminalising attempted suicide, climate commitments and investment inflows — against civil liberties criticism from the Centre for Independent Journalism, which counted sedition cases rising from 15 in 2022 to 29 in 2023, and from Lawyers for Liberty's Nabila Khairuddin on continued use of the Sedition Act.
contested
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has objected to the concept on religious grounds, telling the party's congress on 15 September 2025 that the slogan is "a meaningless slogan without direction or guidance" and that "true Madani is Islam having the authority to govern human affairs"; he had made a similar objection in 2023 that a civilisational framework should rest on Islamic rather than Western foundations.
'Malaysia Madani' slogan meant to deceive the people · Malay Mail
uncertain
How much of the improvement in headline economic indicators is attributable to the Madani framework rather than to external conditions is not settled: the Ministry of Finance credits the framework, while Cassey Lee, writing on 25 May 2026, stressed that reform momentum is shaped by commodity and geopolitical shocks and by a narrowing political window ahead of then-upcoming state elections and a general election due by February 2028. Those state elections have since been held — Johor voted on 11 July 2026 and Negeri Sembilan on 1 August 2026 — so his remark should be read as a May 2026 forecast rather than a description of the present; this page takes no view on what the results meant.
still being researched
- Whether any official document is intended to consolidate or supersede Malaysia Madani’s sector-specific policy documents.
- How much the government has spent on Malaysia Madani branding since May 2023.