MALAYSIA: Opposition Leader, Anwar Ibrahim, Becomes Next PM

Prisca Ifeoma
Prisca Ifeoma

By Iffy

Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s opposition leader has been named prime minister of the country, Thursday, November 24, ending a days-long political impasse after a bout of inconclusive election results.

According to a statement from the palace of the king, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, it reads;

“After taking into consideration the views of Their Royal Highnesses the Malay Rulers, His Majesty has given consent to appoint Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia,”

The 75-year-old was sworn in at 5 pm (0900 GMT), becoming the country’s fourth leader in as many years.

His ascension will bring to an end, a turbulent political life for Anwar — which has not only propelled him into the corridors of power but also landed him inside a jail cell on corruption and sodomy charges.

Lumpur, Anwar supporters were in a celebratory mood

“I got goosebumps, seriously,” said 36-year-old Norhafitzah Ashruff Hassan. “He fought hard to be given the chance to be PM. I hope he performs well and proves his worth.”

“I cannot express in words the ecstatic feeling I have,” said Muhammad Taufiq Zamri, a 37-year-old product manager. “A sense of optimism now flows and I believe Anwar will lead the country forward.”

“This is a long time coming for Anwar Ibrahim,” Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, deputy managing director at strategic advisory firm Bower Group Asia, told AFP.

“One of his agendas is to ensure he is able to fulfil his reform agenda as he looks to stabilise a loosely cobbled federal coalition.”

James Chin, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania, told AFP the announcement “will be welcomed internationally since Anwar is known as a Muslim democrat worldwide”.

“His biggest challenge will be to lead Malaysia out of the economic malaise following the pandemic.”

Anwar’s multi-ethnic Pakatan Harapan coalition won the most seats, a total of 82 seats, short of the 112 required for a majority, in the weekend’s election, on an anti-graft message.

However, the king had summoned Anwar and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin — whose Perikatan Nasional bloc got 73 seats — in an attempt to break the deadlock, but no deal could be struck.

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