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1Malaysia (pronounced One Malaysia in English and Satu Malaysia in Malay) was a political slogan coined by former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009, with the stated goal of promoting ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance.^[1] However, it quickly became embroiled in controversy.

After the 2018 Malaysian general election, in which the long-standing Barisan Nasional's government collapsed and was defeated by Pakatan Harapan, which emerged as the new ruling government, along with the ousting of Najib, the concept was abolished and replaced with Sayangi Malaysiaku, a concept created by Mahathir Mohamad, alongside other significant changes made by his government during his premiership.

1Malaysia is a concept introduced by Prime Minister Najib Razak to promote national unity. According to Razak, the eight values of the concept are high performance, culture, accuracy, knowledge, innovation, integrity, strong will, loyalty, and wisdom.^[2][3]

An official logo and slogan have been introduced alongside the launch of the 1Malaysia concept. The logo features the symbol of '1', which incorporates the national Jalur Gemilang flag and the word "Malaysia". The government spent RM38 million (equivalent to $8 million) to promote the 1Malaysia concept in 2010, according to the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.^[4]

The use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), metrics, and targets—more commonly associated with private businesses—and National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) was introduced as an attempt to improve government efficiency. The KPIs provide a mechanism for evaluating ministries and other government agencies, including performance reviews conducted every six months. Each ministry is required to establish specific KPIs, with a focus on policy outcomes rather than the traditional emphasis on inputs typically found in government performance assessments and planning. KPIs include detailed job descriptions and goals for ministers, deputy ministers, and other senior government officials.^[5]

The National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) are six major policy areas in which KPIs will play a particular important role in improving government effectiveness. The NKRAs include crime prevention, reducing government corruption, increased access to quality education, improving the standard of living for low-income groups, upgrading rural infrastructure, and enhancing public transportation.^[6]

A new cabinet position was also created to support the Unity and Performance Minister in implementing the KPI system. Idris Jala, the former CEO of Malaysia Airlines, was appointed Minister Without a Portfolio and CEO of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU). He worked alongside Koh Tsu Koon to train over 500 government officers in implement the KPI system. As CEO of PEMANDU, Idris supported the work of Koh, who was the minister in charge of National Unity and Performance Management.^[7]

In the 2010 budget, the Malaysian government allocated funding to 50 medical clinics to provide basic medical services for illnesses and injuries such as fever, coughs, colds, wounds, cuts, diabetes, and hypertension. Malaysian citizens were charged RM1 (US$0.22) for treatment and medication,^[8] while non-citizens were charged RM15.^[9] These clinics were later renamed Community Clinics.

Free Wi-Fi services were introduced in rural areas as part of the 1Malaysia campaign under the initiative known as Kampung Tanpa Wayar (translated as Villages without Connections).^[10][11][12] The Wi-Fi services have since been renamed as WiFi Komuniti (WK, Community WiFi in English).

A contract worth RM50 million (approximately US$11 million) was awarded to Tricubes Bhd. to manage the 1Malaysia email project, part of the government's social networking project. The project aimed to provide free email accounts to the public for communication with the government.^[13][14] Announced in April 2011 as part of the Economic Transformation Program (ETP), the project was projected by then-Prime minister Najib Razak to generate a gross national income (GNI) impact of RM39 million (approximately US$14.4 million) by 2015.^[15][16] However, conflicting statements were made by the company and government officials regarding whether the project was privately funded or a government initiative. The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) asserted that "not a single cent of public money is or will be spent" on the project.^[17]

1Malaysia Development Berhad, a government-owned firm, was established through the renaming of a sovereign wealth fund known as the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA). The firm later became central to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, which led to investigations, arrests, and the prosecution of former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

In 2011, a convenience store chain named Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) was launched, with the first outlet located at the Kelana Jaya Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) station in Kuala Lumpur. The franchise aimed to provide affordable groceries for low-income groups.^[18] However, the stores faced criticism selling goods at prices higher than market value^[19] and for the poor quality of the items available. By 2017, all KR1M stores had ceased operations.

The 1Malaysia Foundation (Y1M) was established in 2009 to promote and develop the concept of 1Malaysia. Y1M aims to coordinate and support government and private-sector initiatives related to 1Malaysia agenda. According to Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, the chairman of the Y1M Board of Trustees, the foundation seeks to "expand and strengthen the commitment from all Malaysians towards national unity through various activities to increase public awareness and community development."^[20]

The 1Malaysia Youth Fund was established to provide financial support for young people to undertake creative projects aimed at fostering national unity. A total of RM20 million (US$4.4 million) was allocated to the fund under Malaysia's 2010 budget. The initiative was proposed by the Barisan Nasional Youth Lab.^[21]

In conjunction with the 60th National Day celebration in 2017, the 'Negaraku' initiative was launched.^[22] It was used alongside the 1Malaysia concept, rebranded as the "Negaraku 1Malaysia" concept and logo.^[23] The term 'Negaraku' was also incorporated into greetings by coalition politicians during official events, including the National Day parade. Following the victory of Pakatan Harapan in the 2018 Malaysian general election, both the "Negaraku" initiative and the 1Malaysia concept were discontinued.^[24]

A year after the introduction of the 1Malaysia concept, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who also served as Najib Razak’s mentor, reportedly stated that he "still doesn't understand" the concept.^[25] In July 2010, an opinion poll highlighted public skepticism about the initiative. According to The Malaysian Insider, the survey revealed that the non-Malay respondents were "almost split" on the Najib administration's national unity agenda. The poll found that 46% of respondents believed the 1Malaysia concept was a political strategy to win non-Malay votes, while only 39% felt it was a sincere effort to promote unity among all races in Malaysia.^[26]

Various 1Malaysia initiatives have faced criticism over the years. The 1Malaysia clinics were particularly criticized for their lack of equipment, poor-quality medications, unqualified staff, and reports of unprofessional behavior by nursing personnel towards patients.^[27][28][29] Similarly the 1Malaysia Village Without Connections program (Kampung Tanpa Wayar) was heavily criticized by the rural community for its frequent malfunctions and slow Wi-Fi services, with many labeling the project a "failure."^[30][31][32]

The 1Malaysia email initiative also drew public backlash, especially from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, especially from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, due to concerns about the substantial spending involved and Tricubes financial difficulties. In response to public outcry, Prime Minister Najib Razak clarified that it was a private-sector initiative and that the acceptance of email accounts was voluntary.^[33][34][35] Protests were organized on Facebook, and the initiative was parodied on a website.^[36][37]

1Malaysia Development Berhad company faced multiple controversies, including the purchase of overpriced land from Tadmax Resources, a company linked to the Port Klang Free Zone scandal,^[38][39] and its involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.

KR1M (Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia) also faced significant criticism. Complaints were raised about the pricing of groceries, with many customers noting that items were more expensive than those sold by other supermarkets.^[40][41] In addition, there were allegations of poor product quality, particularly regarding children’s milk formula, fresh milk, condensed milk, sweetened condensed creamer, oyster sauce, fruit jam, and other products.^[42][43][44] In response, KR1M conducted periodic laboratory tests on their products to address these concerns.^[45]

Najib's efforts to liberalize government policies and create a more inclusive approach to all races with 1Malaysia led the Malay rights group Perkasa to seek further clarification on the policy. They feared that 1Malaysia might undermine the rights of the Malays or Bumiputera in favor of minorities in Malaysia.^[46]

On 22 April 2010, Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia's opposition, was condemned by the Parliament of Malaysia for remarks he made during a press conference in the parliament on 30 March 2010. Anwar claimed to have documents linking One Israel and the public relations firm APCO Worldwide (APCO) to the 1Malaysia initiative, but he refused to provide access to these documents when challenged.^[47]

As it is against Malaysia's foreign policy to have dealings with Israel, the appointment of APCO garnered a significant criticism from the majority Muslim population, who demanded that Prime Minister Najib Razak terminate the contract with the company. Both the Malaysian government and APCO strongly denied Anwar's allegations.The censure motion passed by the House of Representatives referred Anwar's case to the Rights and Privileges Committee, which was tasked with recommending punishment for approval by the full chamber. Potential punishments included expulsion from Parliament.^[48][49][50] In response, Anwar produced two documents to support his claims and counter the government's denials.^[49][50]

Anwar was subsequently suspended from Parliament by the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee, based solely on a letter from APCO, without the opportunity to defend himself against the allegations.^[51][52][53] This decision led to a walkout by opposition MPs.^[54][55] On 16 December 2010, Anwar and three opposition MPs—Karpal Singh, Azmin Ali, and Sivarasa Rasiah—were suspended from Parliament.^[56][57] Anwar has since blamed APCO Worldwide for the suspension of himself and the other opposition parliamentarians.^[57]

Since the revelation of the 1MDB scandal in 2015, the slogan 1Malaysia adopted a negative connotation in relation to Najibs Razak's administration. The scandal involved allegations of massive embezzlement and corruption, with billions of dollars missing from a state investment fund. Investigations into the scandal were launched in multiple countries, including United States, Switzerland, and Singapore. The 1MDB scandal had a profound impact on Malaysia's political and economic landscape,eroding public trust in the government and becoming a focal point for political opposition.

Following the defeat of the Barisan Nasional in the 2018 general election, the 1Malaysia slogan and the "Salam 1Malaysia" greeting were gradually phased out by the new administration.^[58] They were eventually replaced by Sayangi Malaysiaku, a slogan introduced by Mahathir Mohamad, who succeeded Najib after winning the 2018 election.

• Bangsa Malaysia
• Malaysian Malaysia
• 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal

• Official website