Anwar Ibrahim

Dato’ Seri Haji Anwar bin Ibrahim (born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 12th and 16th Leader of Opposition since May 2020 and from August 2008 to March 2015, 2nd Chairman of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition since May 2020 and 2nd President of the People’s Justice Party (PKR) since November 2018. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Port Dickson from October 2018 to November 2022 and for Permatang Pauh from March 1982 to April 1999 and again from August 2008 to March 2015. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and in many other Cabinet positions under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from 1982 to 1998.

Anwar started his political career as one of the founders of youth organisation Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM). After joining the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the major party in the long-time ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, Anwar held several high-profile cabinet positions in successive governments in the 1980s and 1990s. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Finance Minister during the 1990s and was prominent in Malaysia’s response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In 1998, he was removed from all posts by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and went on to spearhead the Reformasi movement against the government. Anwar was jailed in April 1999 after a trial for sodomy and corruption that was criticised by human rights groups and several foreign governments, until his release in 2004 after his conviction was overturned.

He made a comeback as Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2015 and was prominent coalescing opposition parties into the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, which unsuccessfully contested in the 2008 and 2013 general elections. He disputed the results of the 2013 elections and led a protest in response. In 2014, Anwar’s attempt to become Selangor head of government in the 2014 Kajang Move led to a nine-month political crisis, which ended when he was sentenced to another five years imprisonment after a second sodomy conviction in 2015.

While still in prison, Anwar re-joined Mahathir Mohamad under new coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) in absentia, which went on to win the 2018 general election. Mahathir outlined a plan for Anwar to take over from himself as Prime Minister after an unspecified interim period. Anwar received a royal pardon from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Muhammad V and was released from prison. He returned to parliament in the 2018 Port Dickson by-election while his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the PH administration. The collapse of the coalition during 2020–22 Malaysian political crisis led to the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under Muhyiddin Yassin being sworn in and Anwar becoming Leader of the Opposition for the second time in May 2020.

Anwar has long been an advocate for Islamic democracy and for reforms to Malaysia’s political system. Outside of politics, Anwar has held positions at various academic institutions.