Anwar: The ups and downs of Malaysia’s new Prime Minister – BBC News 中文

Anwar, 75, started out as a charismatic and devoted student leader. He founded the Malaysian Youth Islamic Movement (ABIM).

In 1982, he unexpectedly joined the long-ruling party Umno (UMNO).

But it was a shrewd political move – and he quickly rose through the ranks, taking various ministerial posts.

In 1993, he became Mahathir’s deputy and was widely regarded as the prime minister’s successor. But tensions between the two began after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when the two clashed over the economy and corruption.

In September 1998, Anwar was sacked after he led public protests against Mahathir’s rule. He started the reform movement “Reformasi” (Reformasi), which influenced a generation of Malaysian pro-democracy activists.

Anwar was later arrested and eventually charged with sodomy and corruption. He denied the allegations in a contentious case that followed.

While Malaysia’s Muslim majority criminalises homosexual behaviour, actual convictions are rare and the case against Anwar has been condemned by the international community as politically motivated.

When he was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption, violent protests erupted in the streets. A year later, he was sentenced to nine years in prison for sodomy.

Anwar has claimed that the allegations are part of a smear campaign to neutralize him as a political threat to Mahathir.

In late 2004, a year after Mahathir resigned as prime minister, the Malaysian Supreme Court overturned the sodomy conviction and freed Anwar.

After Anwar’s release, he became the de facto leader of an active new opposition party that ran strongly in the 2008 election.

But in 2008, Anwar was again accused of sodomy, which he said was yet another attempt by the government to push him aside.

In January 2012, Anwar was acquitted by the High Court for lack of evidence.

The following year he led the opposition to new heights in an election that delivered the worst ever performance of the ruling coalition for the Barisan Nasional.

But Anwar’s ambitions were once again thwarted. As he prepared to run in the 2014 state election, his previous acquittal was overturned and he was sent back to prison.

An unexpected turn of events took place in 2016: Anwar’s former rival, Mahathir Mohamad, announced his return and was once again in the race for prime minister.

Mahathir, who was 92 at the time, said he was displeased with the corruption allegations against the then prime minister and another one-time protégé, Najib Razak.

Mahathir struck an unlikely deal with Anwar, who remains behind bars, in an effort to stage a comeback given Anwar’s popularity among opposition supporters.

In a well-publicized moment, the two shook hands in a once-unthinkable handshake, marking the beginning of a remarkable political union.

Mahathir led Pakatan Harapan to victory in a landmark election in 2018, ending Barisan Nasional’s 61-year run in power.

The new Pakatan Harapan coalition combines four parties to form Malaysia’s first true multi-ethnic coalition government, backed by the country’s Malay-Muslim majority and significant Chinese and Indian minorities.

Mahathir, who was prime minister again, fulfilled his promise to release Anwar and began pardoning him. He also said that he would hand over power to Anwar within two years.

But as the octogenarian continues to change his goals for the transfer of power, the coalition is starting to look shaky. It began to unravel amid bitter struggles over the succession issue and the new growth of Malay nationalism.

In February 2020, Mahathir’s surprise resignation led to the collapse of the coalition government, plunging Malaysia into a period of unprecedented political turmoil, and Anwar was again left empty-handed.

After the fall of the new government, Umno returned to power and Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed as the new prime minister.

But just over a year later, after months of political turmoil, Muhyiddin lost his majority in Congress and resigned at the height of the pandemic.

In October 2022, his successor, Ismail Sabri Yaakob of UMNO, announced a snap election. At the time, UMNO was confident that they could regain power after winning a series of by-elections.

However, Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won the most seats in the general election, but fell short of the simple majority needed to form a government. After days of stalemate, Malaysia’s supreme leader announced the appointment of Anwar as prime minister, ending a 25-year wait.

But the road ahead will remain challenging for Anwar, who must assemble a viable governing coalition and will undoubtedly face difficulties in pushing for a more pluralistic and inclusive Malaysia amid the rise of Islamism.