From prisoner to PM, Malaysia’s Anwar had long ride to top

By EILEEN NG
Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — More than two decades after his dramatic ouster from government and imprisonment, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim finally has his day. Anwar was named Malaysia’s prime minister by the nation’s king and sworn in Thursday. He trumped a Malay nationalist leader to clinch the top job after Saturday’s divisive elections led to a hung Parliament. Becoming prime minister capped Anwar’s roller-coaster political journey, from a former deputy prime minister whose sacking and imprisonment in the 1990s led to massive street protests and a reform movement that rose into a major political force. It was a second victory for his reformist bloc, which won 2018 polls but lost power after 22 months amid a power struggle.