The Tamesis
April 13, 2026
Kuala Lumpur – A protest against rising fuel prices in Kuala Lumpur on April 4 attracted just a dozen people, a lackluster performance for an event that generated huge noise online and even the promise of political support. It turns out that the mood on the streets is less lively than the timelines on social media.
On the steps outside the Sogo department store, a traditional focus of protests, a small group held banners calling for the reinstatement of diesel subsidies and lower gasoline prices. It’s a common refrain in a country that has long viewed cheap fuel as a right.
But as one protest leader tried to unite the crowd by asking who was to blame, passers-by chanted: “War, Iran, Hormuz”.
Passersby seemed to have been reading their news.
Rising global fuel prices have stoked tensions and disrupted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow artery that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.
In Malaysia, however, much of the political anger is directed at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, making him an easy target in a crisis that stretches far beyond Putrajaya’s control.
Fuel prices in Malaysia have long been politicized, including by Datuk Seri Anwar himself. Many still remember his repeated claim as opposition leader: “If we win today, fuel prices will go down tomorrow.”
Old videos of him repeating the phrase resurfaced on social media, prompting sharp rebuttals from a frustrated public.
Anwar has since dismissed such criticism as “illiterate,” arguing that the statement was made at a time of low oil prices and was inappropriate in today’s uncertain geopolitical climate.
On April 4, he said: “If you ignore the facts, what you are left with is petty politics that fools the people.” However, the defense did nothing to quiet the noise.
Opposition attempts to pin the blame on Mr Anwar are at odds with the reality that Malaysia still maintains one of the most generous fuel subsidy regimes in the region.
Five weeks after the conflict, petrol prices in Peninsular Malaysia are still capped at RM1.99 per liter, while diesel prices – affecting only 7% of vehicles – have been partially liberalized.
Even so, as the financial burden increased, the government still had to tighten access, cutting the subsidized gasoline quota per person from 300 liters to 200 liters in April.
1,300 kilometers of priorities
Even if a crisis occurs, the Prime Minister’s schedule will not change much. While the streets of Kuala Lumpur have been kind to him, Anwar has found himself on the defensive in recent weeks during a series of official visits that have drawn public scrutiny.
He defended his visit to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on March 27 as a matter of national security, saying the visit lasted only three hours before he rushed back to Kuala Lumpur.
The 78-year-old prime minister said: “I am not a young man, but I do it because I think it is a duty to the country.”
But a helicopter trip to the Singapore Strait to see Pedra Branca on April 5 proved harder to justify.
Photos of Anwar looking out from the plane were shared on the X account of Law Minister Azalina Othman Said, a move that drew sharp criticism from users who questioned the necessity of the visit.
That same weekend, Mr Anwar traveled to Kuantan to open a government-linked convenience store and then traveled to Kuala Kangsar, Perak, to visit his alma mater and address students.
All told, these journeys (including the return trip to Kuala Lumpur) covered more than 1,300 kilometers, roughly equivalent to the distance the average Malaysian travels on subsidized petrol in half a month. This does not include the motorcade of officials and security personnel that follows each Prime Minister’s visit.
Both sides, the same road
But it’s not just the Prime Minister.
In the same week that Mr Anwar visited three states and flew by helicopter, the chief ministers of four opposition-controlled states – Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu – gathered in Kuala Terengganu to lead a convoy of about 1,000 motorcyclists.
The motorcade, which rode Lambretta motorcycles across the city’s suspension bridge and along coastal roads, was part of the biennial International Muslim Solidarity Conference.
The decision drew criticism from People’s Justice Party deputy chairperson Nuruliza Anwar, who called it an excessive use of fuel.
“This is not just insensitivity. It reflects a worrying failure to set priorities,” said Ms. Iza, Mr. Anwar’s daughter.
Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Noor dismissed her criticism, pointing to the helicopter the prime minister was traveling in.
Datuk Seri Sanusi said on April 7: “It costs more to fly in a helicopter. Compared to thousands of dollars for a helicopter, fuel for a motorcycle only costs pennies.”
To many participants, including some who rode nearly 500 kilometers from Kedah, the criticism felt misplaced. After all, they are spending their own money.
“We are all allocated the same amount of subsidized fuel. Who can dictate how we use it? The government?” said Mr Hafiz Mat Hassan from Pendang, Kedah.
“Dua darjat” again
Mr Anwar has been urging Malaysians to tighten their belts as fuel subsidy bills have ballooned from 700 million ringgit (S$225 million) before the war to 6 billion ringgit now. He banned ministries from holding Eid open houses and restricted government officials from traveling abroad.
“This is because we cannot predict how long the economic situation will last,” he said on March 7. “Manage the economy wisely…everyone has to be aware of this and help.”
But to some, the message rings hollow.
The disconnect between words and actions is reminiscent of the “dua darjat” (Malay term for double standards) during the Covid-19 lockdown, when politicians were caught flouting rules imposed on the public.
These include the then deputy health minister, who was caught on camera enjoying a sumptuous communal meal during a visit to a school in April 2020, in breach of health ministry regulations.
“We need real leadership by example,” said Sufian Mohd Naim, 42, an e-hailing driver.
For Sufian, the frustration was not limited to the prime minister but also to Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan, who preached caution from the back of the motorcade.
“Every day I’m on the road and I see their convoys – police escorts, three or four cars – pushing people aside,” Mr Sufian said.
“When will they transition to a more cautious and simple lifestyle?”
