By Wong Chun Wai
KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Democracy is noisy, but social media is noisier. By almost any measure, one would think Malaysia is in perpetual crisis and even perceived to be a failed state if social media were the only lens through which we see the country.
Scroll through the endless stream of posts, comments and viral videos, and the picture painted is bleak: political, racial, and religious chaos and a nation supposedly on the brink of decline.
It is a narrative repeated so often that many begin to accept it as truth. The campaign has become more aggressive because the political actors believe a general election is looming.
But away from the noise of the digital echo chamber, Malaysia today enjoys a high degree of political stability that has been missing in recent years.
Malaysians have always taken political stability for granted. We have forgotten that we lost precious time when we had three Prime Ministers within a single five-year term between 2018 and 2022.
Whether we like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or not, we cannot deny that he has brought a measure of steadiness to the political landscape.
Investors, both domestic and foreign, tend to value predictability, and stability has helped restore confidence in Malaysia’s direction.
The foreign community looks at Malaysia with greater respect now, with Anwar playing a big role on the global stage.
Put aside the politics. Let’s look at the data. Malaysia has recorded a historic high of RM426.7 billion in total approved investments in 2025, marking an 11 per cent increase from 2024, and is expected to create over 244,000 new jobs.
Johor recorded RM110 billion in approved investments for 2025, the highest ever for a single state in Malaysian history.
This record-breaking performance accounts for 25.77 per cent of Malaysia’s total approved investments for the year.
Major multinational companies continue to choose Malaysia as a base for advanced manufacturing, data centres and technology supply chains.
From electronics to green technology, the country is positioning itself within industries that will define the next phase of global growth.
No serious investors will put billions into Malaysia if it continues to be rocked by political turbulence, changing PM and policies.
Bank Negara Malaysia’s international reserves reached USD128.3 billion as of Feb 27, 2026, the highest ever since Aug 2014. Supported by stronger exchange and gold accumulation, the reserves rose for an 11th consecutive month.
These reserves are more than just numbers; they represent economic resilience, providing the country with the capacity to weather global uncertainties and financial shocks.
The ringgit emerged as Asia’s best-performing currency in early 2026, driven by strong economic fundamentals, increased foreign investment, and a narrowing interest rate differential with the United States.
The ringgit, once the subject of constant alarmist commentary online, has strengthened against major currencies.
Even critics of PMX will agree that the stronger ringgit reflects improving confidence in the country’s economic fundamentals and policy direction.
Our unemployment rate has reached a near-decade low of 3.1 per cent as of December 2024, reflecting a stable and strengthening labour market. The rate has remained consistently low between 3.1 per cent and 3.3 per cent throughout late 2024 to early 2026.
Malaysia’s inflation rate in 2026 is expected to remain broadly stable at around two per cent, but with the war in West Asia and price hike in oil, there would probably be an impact on our inflation and cost of petrol as with the rest of the world.
These figures do not support the narrative that the PM is doing a bad job. It takes a lot of hard work to make this happen.
“The problem with the digital space is not merely that criticism exists – criticism is essential in any healthy democracy. The problem arises when outrage becomes the dominant currency of engagement.
“Algorithms reward anger, exaggeration and sensationalism. Nuance rarely goes viral,’’ as one report put it.
Unfortunately, data-driven analysis is not social media viral material. Malaysians do not have the patience to read a thoughtful analysis.
Economic data seldom attracts the same attention as a dramatic claim that the country is collapsing. Over time, this creates a distorted perception. The loudest voices online can make it appear as though the nation is perpetually failing, even when evidence suggests otherwise.
Many of us seem to be affected by a few religious extremists who are bent on creating hatred over the Hindu temple issues with their incessant, provocative actions and postings.
They would have been detained under the Internal Security Act in the era of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but these draconian laws have been repealed.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, is in the spotlight as we await the report of the internal investigations against him.
He is under probe for dabbling in the shares market and whether he has crossed the permissible level as a civil servant, and whether he did obtain approval, not for corruption.
Azam may not be a popular figure with many questioning his stand and methods of his work, but never in the country’s history has so many big personalities been arrested and investigated. His job is to hand over his recommendations to the Attorney-General for court actions once the MACC completes their investigations.
Certainly not everything is well and fine in Malaysia. Issues such as income disparity, governance challenges, delayed reforms and the rising cost of living remain real concerns for many Malaysians.
They deserve honest discussion and policy attention, but a nation’s challenges should be debated in proportion to its achievements and strengths.
Constantly projecting an image of failure does little to help Malaysia. Instead, it risks eroding confidence among citizens and investors alike, creating a self-fulfilling cycle of pessimism.
“Malaysia’s story today is not one of perfection, but neither is it one of collapse. It is the story of a country gradually regaining stability, attracting investments and strengthening its economic foundations,” said one analyst.
It’s just been three years since PMX held the job. We are still grappling with the 1MDB issue. As of late 2025, Malaysia has had to pay RM42.17 billion to service the debt and interest obligations of 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
The debt burden is gigantic as the remaining balance is about RM9.02 billion, with the final maturity date for the principal payment in 2039, according to reports, and all this is funded from the federal budget.
In the end, we must ask a simple question: should we allow the loudest voices with political interest to define our national narrative on social media, or should we judge our country by facts and evidence, and not merely emotions and prejudices?
— BERNAMA
* Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai is the National Journalism Laureate and chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama).
