After five long days of waiting with bated breaths—no thanks to multiple plot twists as we faced the first hung parliament in the history of our general elections—Malaysians finally have an answer as to who will be the country’s next premier. Following the Conference of Rulers meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong this morning, 24 November, Pakatan Harapan leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been named Malaysia’s 10th prime minister.
The Tambun MP was officially sworn in at 5pm today at the Istana Negara. While Anwar Ibrahim is a name that most Malaysians should know by now, it’s worth revisiting the story behind his long-held dream to lead Malaysia. To bring you up to speed, here are 10 things to know about the man of the hour.
1. Born a Penangite
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Anwar Ibrahim was born on 10 August, 1947 in Cherok To’Kun, Bukit Mertajam, Penang—making him 75 this year. He undertook his secondary education at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, before continuing his tertiary education at the University of Malaya, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Malay Studies. He later worked on his Masters in Literature through the National University of Malaysia while in prison from 1974 to 1975.
2. A son of politicians
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The saying “like father, like son” rings true for Anwar, whose father, Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman, had joined politics as the UMNO Member of Parliament for Seberang Perai Central between 1959 and 1969. Meanwhile, his mother, Che Yan binti Hussein, was active in UMNO grassroots politics in Penang.
3. Becoming a politician in his own right
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Even in his youth, Anwar had started carving his way through the political landscape as a student leader of several organisations. For instance, he served as the president of the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students from 1968 to 1971, and was also president of the University of Malaya Malay Language Society around the same time.
In 1971, he co-founded the Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), a crucial player in the country’s Islamic revival. From there, he was recruited to join UMNO in 1982, rising up the ranks to become the Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture the next year.
4. Building his own family of politicians
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One can say politics is in his blood(line), as Anwar’s wife and daughter are also active politicians today. He married Dr Wan Azizah Dr Wan Ismail on 26 February 1980, with whom he shares five daughters and a son. She was elected as the MP for Bandar Tun Razak in GE15 and was formerly the 12th Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. Their eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, was also the MP for Permatang Pauh from 2018 to 2022, but failed to defend the seat in the recent elections.
5. Former Finance Minister of the Year
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Arguably one of Anwar’s greatest political achievements was during his time as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1998. Under his leadership, Malaysia flourished with a budget surplus for several years. The country also enjoyed an era of unprecedented prosperity that led renowned financial publication Euromoney to name him ‘Top Four Finance Minister’, whilst Asiamoney magazine awarded him with the title ‘Finance Minister Of The Year’ in 1996.
6. Other positions he has held
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Anwar has held various roles throughout his political career, including serving as the 12th and 16th Leader of the Opposition; the second Chairman of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition since May 2020; and the second President of the People’s Justice Party (PKR) since November 2018. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and occupied several Cabinet positions in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from 1982 to 1998:
- Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (1983-1984)
- Minister of Agriculture (1984-1988)
- Minister of Education (1986-1991)
- Minister of Finance (1991-1998)
Besides that, he has been elected as the MP for several constituencies over the past decades:
- Tambun (present)
- Port Dickson (2018-2022)
- Permatang Pauh (1982-1999, 2008-2015)
7. Fall from power
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During the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Anwar clashed with Mahathir over the implementation of economic recovery measures. Tensions increased when he denounced cryonism and nepotism among Malaysia’s business and political elite, which led to his dismissal by the then Prime Minister. He was later sentenced to six years in jail in 1999 for alleged abuse of power, and faced a consecutive nine-year prison term in August 2000 on a sodomy charge. After Mahathir stepped down from premiership in 2003, the Federal Court overruled his sodomy charges, but disqualified him from rejoining politics until 2008.
8. Leader of the Reformation
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Soon after he was fired by Mahathir as Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar and his supporters initiated the Reformasi movement in 1998. The reformation consisted of several mass demonstrations and rallies against the long-standing Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government. It also led to the formation of a new multiracial-based party named Parti Keadilan Nasional (KEADILAN), which then merged to become Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in 2003. PKR became instrumental in the forming of Pakatan Harapan (PH), which won the highest number of seats in GE15 (82), albeit still short of the simple majority of 112 seats to form the government.
9. Years in the making to become PM
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For some, the third time’s the charm. But for Anwar, many have lost track of how many chances he has had to become Prime Minister. After being sacked from his Deputy Prime Minister post and sentenced to jail, he returned to politics in 2008 and even succeeded in getting the popular vote in GE13 (50.9 per cent). However, BN won the elections and formed the government due to the malapportionment of the electoral districts. Not long after, the Court of Appeal overturned Anwar’s acquittal and gave him a five-year prison sentence, which many leaders in the international community condemned as a politically motivated move.
Prior to PH’s historical win in GE14 in 2018, interim Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had agreed to pass the baton to its de facto leader, who received a full royal pardon and was released from prison following the formation of the new ruling government. However, Mahathir unexpectedly stepped down in 2020, triggering a political crisis that, once again, quashed Anwar’s ambitions. Hence, today marks the end of his elusive decades-long journey to lead Malaysia as Prime Minister.
10. A proud family man
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Politics aside, Anwar appears to be a family man who enjoys spending time and, in his words, “vibin’” with his grandchildren. While his Instagram bio reads “Papa of six, PapaTok to eleven,” it turns out that he is also “Papa” to an adorable cat named Billy. Interestingly, the cat made headlines recently when it greeted reporters waiting outside the PH chairman’s house!
With the dust settled and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officially named the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, the real work (and reformation) begins.
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