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☆ Anwar Ibrahim: Who is Malaysia's new prime minister?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's new prime minister, 75-year-old Anwar Ibrahim, was sworn in on Thursday, bringing to a close his three-decade quest for the job that had eluded him time and again and led to him spending nearly a decade in jail. As opposition leader, Anwar led tens of thousands of Malaysians in street protests in the 1990s against his mentor-turned-foe Mahathir Mohamad. Anwar started off as a firebrand Islamic youth leader before joining then prime minister Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the Barisan Nasional alliance. Anwar's appointment as prime minister brings an end to a political crisis after an election on Saturday ushered in an unprecedented hung parliament. Between stints as deputy prime minister in the 1990s and as official prime minister-in-waiting in 2018, Anwar spent nearly a decade in jail for sodomy and corruption on charges he says were politically motivated.

☆ Anwar Ibrahim's long road to prime minister of Malaysia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Harish Sridharan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

** He had a meteoric political rise under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who invited him to join the ruling coalition, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), in 1982. ** Finance minister from 1991 and deputy prime minister from 1993, the long-celebrated heir apparent to Mahathir fell out with his mentor in 1998. ** During the term of Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2015, Anwar was jailed for sodomy for the second time. ** Anwar and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin each said they could form a government with support from other parties. ** Malaysia's king appointed Anwar as prime minister after a special meeting of his fellow hereditary sultans.

☆ Reaction to Anwar Ibrahim's appointment as Malaysian prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's king appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister on Thursday, ending five days of unprecedented post-election crisis after inconclusive polls. Anwar's appointment caps a three-decade long political journey from a protege of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad to protest leader, to a prisoner convicted of sodomy, to opposition leader and, finally, prime minister. The former finance minister and deputy prime minister will have to address soaring inflation and slowing growth, while calming ethnic tension that has flared since a Saturday election. ADIB ZALKAPLI, DIRECTOR AT POLITICAL RISK CONSULTANCY BOWERGROUPASIA:"With the appointment of Anwar as the 10th prime minister, this is a closure to the longest-running political crisis in Malaysia that began 24 years ago when he was sacked by the prime minister Mahathir Mohamad .... So it's an important closure, Anwar has been the longest-serving potential prime minister candidate.

☆ Malaysia's former ruling bloc may back Anwar in PM race
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's former ruling coalition indicated that it may support opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister, reversing a decision to stay neutral and potentially helping resolve a political stalemate. The Barisan coalition will not support a government that is led by ex-premier Muhyddin Yassin's alliance, its biggest component party said, though it did not make any reference to Anwar. King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan will meet with other senior royals on Thursday to help decide who will become prime minister. The constitutional monarch plays a largely ceremonial role but can appoint a premier he believes will command a majority in parliament. The king had suggested that both the leaders work together to form a "unity government", but Muhyiddin declined the proposal.

☆ Anwar Ibrahim makes history as tenth Malaysian prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Long-time Malaysian statesman Anwar Ibrahim is the country's new prime minister after the Southeast Asian nation's palace made the announcement on Thursday ending a protracted election deadlock. Following the meeting with state rulers and in line with the Malaysian constitution, the king appointed Anwar as the Southeast Asian nation's tenth prime minister. The king said in an official statement that Anwar would be sworn in at 5 p.m. local time. He has asked elected members of parliament to serve the nation well and extended gratitude to state rulers for their assistance as well as insights toward the resolution of the crisis. Anwar's appointment caps a more than 20-year wait for the former deputy prime minister who has been opposition leader for two decades amid jail terms and political coups.

☆ Malaysian king calls council of sultans to resolve election crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah waves to media members waiting outside the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia November 21, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Malaysia's king on Wednesday called a special meeting of his fellow hereditary sultans to discuss who should be prime minister as an unprecedented post-election crisis entered its fourth day. King Al-Sultan Abdullah made his announcement of a special council after meeting lawmakers from the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition. Anwar's coalition, known as Pakatan Harapan, won the most seats in the Saturday election with 82, while Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional bloc won 73. Police this week cautioned social media users to refrain from posting "provocative" content on race and religion after the divisive election.

☆ Malaysia's wait for PM continues for fourth day as post-election crisis drags on
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Election workers prepare a polling station ahead of the polling day of Malaysia's general election at Permatang Pauh, Penang, Malaysia November 18, 2022. Malaysia's king will pick the new premier, after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin missed his Tuesday afternoon deadline to put together an alliance with other parties to form a government. The constitutional monarch plays a largely ceremonial role but can appoint a premier he believes will command a majority in parliament. Anwar's coalition won the most seats in the Saturday election with 82, while Muhyiddin's bloc won 73. Muhyiddin said he had declined the King's suggestion for the two rivals to work together to form a "unity government".

"We continue to be on high alert and will aggressively remove any violative content," TikTok, which is owned by the China-based firm ByteDance, said in a statement. TikTok said it had been in contact with Malaysian authorities on severe and repeat violations of its community guidelines since the lead-up to the election. One of the alliances hoping to form a government is a conservative, largely ethnic Malay, Muslim group led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. SULTANS TO MEETReuters reviewed about 100 videos on TikTok, some of which featured people displaying weapons such as knives and machetes. In response, a flood of videos explaining the history of the May 13 violence have surfaced with many ethnic Malay users calling for unity and criticising those inciting violence.

☆ Malaysia's Anwar, Muhyiddin rush to meet deadline to form government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Significant election gains by an Islamist party also added to investors' fears, notably over policies on gambling and alcohol consumption. Anwar's coalition entered negotiations with Barisan Nasional, the incumbent coalition and Anwar's longtime rival, on Monday to discuss a potential alliance. Anwar's multiethnic coalition won the most seats in the Saturday election with 82, while Muhyiddin's bloc won 73. It would be another astonishing turnaround in Malaysian politics if Anwar and Barisan forged an alliance: as opposition chief, Anwar has spent much of his career trying to oust Barisan. For the 2018 election, Anwar tied up with mentor-turned-foe Mahathir Mohamad to defeat Barisan.

"Let me make a decision soon," the king told reporters outside the national palace. The king had given political parties until 2 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Tuesday to put together alliances needed for a majority. Significant election gains by an Islamist party added to investors' fears, notably over policies on gambling and alcohol consumption. Its electoral gains have also raised fears in multicultural Malaysia, which has significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities following other faiths. Anwar's coalition won the most seats in the Saturday election with 82, while Muhyiddin's bloc won 73.

☆ Malaysian police warn of ethnic tensions on social media after divisive election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Malaysian police have cautioned the country's social media users to refrain from posting "provocative" content on race and religion after a divisive general election on Saturday that ended in a hung parliament. The police warning comes as race-based narratives dominated political chatter on social media during and after the election, according to an online hate speech monitoring project run by the Malaysia-based Centre for Independent Journalism. Race and religion are thorny issues in multicultural Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities of other faiths. Police said they had detected social media content that touched on racial and religious sentiments and insulted the country's monarchy after the election. Malaysian social media users on Monday reported a slew of posts on short video platform TikTok after the election that mentioned a deadly race riot in Kuala Lumpur on May 13, 1969.

Significant election gains by an Islamist party also added to investors' fears, notably over policies toward gambling and alcohol consumption. Anwar said he met with some leaders from the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition on Monday to discuss a potential alliance. "I am satisfied as this negotiation was on the need to form a stable government that's inclusive. Its 30 seats in parliament is key for both candidates to cross 112 seats needed to hold a majority. On Monday, Anwar's coalition partnered with Barisan to form regional governments in two states, which also saw inconclusive elections.

☆ Malaysia's Muhyiddin, Anwar race to form government as turmoil drags on
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Malaysian former Prime Minister and Perikatan Nasional Chairman Muhyiddin Yassin waves as he leaves after Malaysia's 15th general election in Shah Alam, Malaysia November 20, 2022. Anwar's multi-ethnic coalition won the most number of seats in the Saturday election with 82. King Al-Sultan Abdullah, whose largely ceremonial role includes the power to appoint as prime minister a lawmaker he believes will command a majority, could play a decisive role. Massive corruption, mostly related to the looting of billions of dollars from sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (IMDB), for which former prime minister Najib Razak was jailed earlier this year, seriously wounded UMNO's image. During his time in opposition, Anwar spent a decade in jail on convictions for sodomy and corruption, which he says were politically motivated.

☆ Explainer: What to expect as Malaysia's split election leaves scramble to form govt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] The logo of Malaysia's election commission is pictured at its headquarters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Malaysia's political leaders were scrambling to form a coalition government on Sunday after an election produced an unprecedented hung parliament, with no group able to claim a majority. Longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin each said they could form a government with support from other parties, whom they did not identify. It made inroads in strongholds of Barisan, whose United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) - long Malaysia's dominant political force - made its worst showing ever. KING'S ROLEKing Al-Sultan Abdullah could potentially pick the next prime minister.

☆ Malaysia's political manoeuvring begins after indecisive election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Voters queue up to cast their ballots during the general election in Bera of Pahang state, Malaysia, Nov. 19, 2022. Malaysia's political leaders scrambled on Sunday to secure support from rivals a day after a general election produced a hung parliament, with no coalition winning a parliamentary majority. Longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin each said they could form a government with support from other parties, whom they did not identify. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's Barisan Nasional alliance - whose United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) had long been Malaysia's dominant political force - suffered its worst electoral defeat ever, winning just 30 of the 178 seats it vied for. As voters rejected UMNO and the multi-ethnic Barisan coalition it leads for the second election in a row, Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional coalition, in its first national contest, pulled support from Barisan's traditional base.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A new coalition led by former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was leading a hotly contested general election on Saturday, with opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim a close second, early results from the Election Commission showed. The other main contender - Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition - was losing ground in traditional strongholds to Muhyiddin's bloc, the results showed. As of 1630 GMT, the Election Commission had announced results for 123 of the 222 parliamentary seats. [1/6] Malaysian Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob stands in a line to vote during Malaysia's 15th general election in Bera, Pahang, Malaysia November 19, 2022. The top issues are the economy, along with corruption, as several leaders from the Barisan Nasional coalition face graft accusations.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Anwar Ibrahim has ramped up campaigning this week to be Malaysia's prime minister, buoyed by polls putting the veteran opposition leader ahead in a closely fought contest. Rival alliances, including those run by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin, could come together to clinch the required numbers and deny Anwar the top job. "This election is not about changing the prime minister," Anwar said in an address on Thursday. "This election is the best chance to save the country and make sweeping changes to restore our beloved nation." In an interview with Reuters this month, Anwar ruled out working with Ismail and Muhyiddin's coalitions, citing "fundamental differences" over race and religion.

☆ Malaysia's upcoming election is poised to be a battleground of uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Four years ago, opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan swept Barisan Nasional — the ruling coalition at that time — out of power for the first time in 60 years. Then chairman and second-time prime minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned after 22 months in office and the coalition fell apart. Malaysia's political crisis has paved the way for a smorgasbord of parties and coalitions contesting the general election on Nov. 19. Perikatan gained notoriety after it was formed in 2020 following the defection of members from Pakatan Harapan. Anwar Ibrahim is looking to become prime minister after being denied the leadership for over two decades.

[1/5] Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during an interview with Reuters in Putrajaya, Malaysia November 8, 2022. In what he said would likely be his final election foray, Mahathir vowed to fight "against bad Malays, criminal Malays… against the Malays who had destroyed this country." "We don't agree that any one person should, even before the results come in, claim that he is the candidate for prime minister," Mahathir said. He was pardoned in 2018 after the election win that removed UMNO from power for the first time in Malaysia's post-colonial history. The nonagenarian said he had no desire to be prime minister but would do so if asked to serve again.

TAMBUN, Malaysia, Nov 7 (Reuters) - After two decades as opposition leader, Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim was poised to finally become prime minister in 2020. There are several other parties in the running, including one founded by another former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, a factor that is expected to split the votes more than ever before. Mahathir became prime minister and promised to hand over power to Anwar in two years. Anwar's wife took over as deputy prime minister, but the coalition collapsed in 22 months due to infighting over the transition. Muhyiddin briefly became prime minister but Barisan came back to power in 2021 with Ismail at the helm as part of another alliance.

[1/5] The supporters of The National Front coalition, Barisan Nasional, shout slogans outside a nomination centre on nomination day in Bera, Pahang, Malaysia November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Lai Seng SinKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Malaysian political leaders began their election campaigning on Saturday for what is set to be a close race, with incumbent Prime Minister Ismail Sabri facing off with veterans Anwar Ibrahim and Muhyiddin Yassin. The election comes as the Malaysian economy is expected to ease due to a global slowdown, impeding a recovery from a pandemic-induced slump. Inflation is also rising, with the Malaysian central bank increasing interest rates this week for the fourth straight time. The leaders are not working together in this election.

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