-
In a milestone development that's been dubbed Malaysia's "Nelson Mandela moment," jailed opposition hero Anwar Ibrahim was released Wednesday.
-
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who emerged victorious in last week's general election, has promised to hand over the reins to Anwar, a former protege-turned-enemy — and now ally.
The man widely expected to be governing Malaysia in roughly two years' time walked out of a Kuala Lumpur hospital and to freedom on Wednesday.
Opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim , who heads the People's Justice Party (PKR), is considered a hero in Malaysia, where he has been jailed twice. He received a full pardon on Wednesday in a milestone development that's been dubbed — rightly or wrongly — Malaysia's "Nelson Mandela moment."
The former political prisoner was in the hospital recovering from shoulder surgery.
In a plot twist typical of espionage thrillers, the individual responsible for Anwar's freedom is the same man who imprisoned him in 1998: newly-minted Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad . The 92-year-old stunned observers of last week's general election , defeating incumbent Najib Razak and the Barisan National party that's ruled Malaysia since independence.
Mahathir, who first ruled the nation from 1981 to 2003, was once the face of Barisan National, with Najib as his protege. But following allegations of Najib's role in a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal , Mahathir has since joined the opposition and worked with Anwar's PKR faction to form a four-party coalition known as Pakatan Harapan. PKR is the largest entity within the coalition.
That alliance of once bitter rivals was cemented by Mahathir's campaign promise to release Anwar and eventually pass him the premiership.
So, who is Anwar Ibrahim?
Alongside Najib, 70-year-old Anwar was also one of Mahathir's proteges. From 1993, he served as Mahathir's deputy prime minister under the Barisan National coalition but was sacked and jailed in 1998 on charges that his supporters dismissed as false.
Anwar was eventually released in 2004 and went on to lead the opposition to strong performances in the 2008 and 2013 general elections. Under Najib's government, he was sentenced again in 2015 .
Anwar "enjoys deep and warm ties in Washington, where he has received support during his travails over the past two decades," analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a recent note.
But Anwar still has to work to do before he can take over the premiership.