Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as Malaysia’s tenth prime minister on Thursday (November 23) after the country’s constitutional monarch appointed him to lead a historic unity government, a remarkable reversal of fortunes for a politician seen as a perennial leader-in-waiting who had repeatedly fallen short of the premiership.
After pursuing the top role for three decades and spending nine years in jail for sodomy and corruption on charges he says were politically motivated, the 75-year-old veteran opposition leader now has a chance to lead following an almost five-day political deadlock after the November 19 general election resulted in a hung parliament.
“‘Finally,’ has been everyone’s reaction. He’s been fighting for this job for a long time and people assumed that he would never make it – and now he’s the prime minister. But he’s come in through difficult circumstances and into difficult circumstances,” said Bridget Welsh, an honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Asia Research Institute.
Malaysia’s king, or Yang di-Pertuan Agong, played a central role in resolving the political impasse by meeting with coalition leaders and his fellow rulers, ultimately using his influence to encourage the formation of a unity government. It marked the third time the king has chosen a prime minister in just over two years, though it is the first time it has happened following an election.
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Nile Bowie is a journalist and correspondent with the Asia Times covering current affairs in Singapore and Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.
