Zahid said that the unity government had to prioritise “cleaning up the mess” left by its predecessors and it was unfair to accuse the current government of being overly cautious or dragging its feet in implementing institutional reforms as there was a process to everything.

“The prime minister has done and is doing the best he can to implement the reforms,” Zahid told FMT. “It is unreasonable to label him ‘slow’ as the government is forced to deal with the ‘booby traps’ left by past administrations.”

In responding to the notion that reforms were slow, Zahid said that Anwar Ibrahim’s government needed five years to ensure planned policies and initiatives were implemented in stages and effectively.

“We have been in government for three years and in that period there are a lot of plans. And these plans need sufficient time to be realised.”

He said the unity government had achieved several milestones at home and abroad which the public could assess for themselves.

Zahid, who is also Umno president, said he had full confidence in Anwar’s leadership, adding that Anwar, the PKR president, was committed to developing the country in a more holistic and sustainable manner.

On Jan 5, Anwar announced that the government would table a bill in Parliament to limit the tenure of the prime minister.

The government also planned to table a bill on freedom of information to strengthen transparency and prevent the abuse of power, particularly in relation to tenders, contracts and government projects.

The government will also table legislation to separate the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor.