Royal pardon caps a tumultuous two decades in which Anwar was twice imprisoned after falling out with two prime ministers. It also clears way for newly elected Mahathir Mohamad to hand over power within two years

Anwar Ibrahim, the jailed Malaysian politician who built the Pakatan Harapan alliance that swept to power in last week’s general election, has been freed.

Anwar, 70, walked out of a rehabilitation hospital where he was recuperating from a shoulder surgery just past 11.29am on Wednesday.

Dressed in a dark suit, a beaming Anwar gave the thumbs up sign to the assembled crowds and appeared ready to deliver a few remarks, but was ushered into a car amid an intense media scrum.

He was accompanied by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the deputy prime minister, and his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, an MP.

Anwar had been serving a five-year jail term for sodomy, though he considered himself a prisoner of conscience.

He was released after the country’s constitutional king Muhammad V granted him a full pardon.

Anwar met the king in the national palace in Kuala Lumpur immediately after his release.

Pakatan Harapan leaders had asked the monarch for the pardon last week.

The coalition has promised that the newly elected prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar’s mentor-turned-rival-turned-ally, will hand over power to his one-time protégé within two years.

Mohamad Suhaimi, one of hundreds of jubilant Anwar supporters who lined the streets outside the hospital, told he “couldn’t wait for Anwar to be prime minister”.

The charismatic orator’s large urban base was also out in full force at the gates of the national palace, holding flags of the leader’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (National Justice Party, or PKR) – Pakatan Harapan’s biggest party.

Anwar is scheduled to hold a press conference in his house at 4.30pm, and will speak at a rally in the district of Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur at 10pm.

Anwar’s release on Wednesday caps a tumultuous two decades in which the opposition icon endured two spells in jail after falling out with two different prime ministers.

Anwar had been serving as Mahathir’s deputy during the veteran politician’s first stint as prime minister when he was suddenly sacked in 1998, and later jailed for sodomy and corruption.

At the time Mahathir had said he needed to remove Anwar because he was “not fit for office” – though Anwar has always maintained that the charge was spurious and that Mahathir felt threatened at his popularity with the masses.

After Anwar’s pardon, when will Mahathir let him take power in Malaysia?

Upon his release in 2004, Anwar galvanised the “Reformasi” movement against the Barisan Nasional coalition that Mahathir was then leading – and that Anwar himself had helped start before going to jail.

The movement provided a much-needed boost for the languishing opposition, which Anwar fashioned into a potent force. Pakatan Harapan’s predecessor, Pakatan Rakyat, dealt heavy blows to Barisan Nasional in the 2008 and 2013 elections.

Anwar, however, was again jailed for sodomy in 2015, this time during the premiership of Najib Razak.

He maintains his innocence, and says on both occasions Mahathir and Najib used trumped up charges against him to keep him out of politics.

To this day, Mahathir maintains he sacked Anwar following advice from the police, and that it was the courts who decided Anwar’s fate – not him.

While still in prison Anwar embraced Mahathir’s decision to quit Barisan Nasional and join Pakatan Harapan in 2016.

Mahathir crossed aisles because he felt it was untenable to support Najib as premier following widespread allegations of his involvement in the 1MDB financial scandal.

On the eve of last week’s election, Anwar urged supporters to back Mahathir, who had brought him into government in the 1980s.

Anwar was a firebrand Islamist student activist before his entry into politics, and had served 20 months in jail in the 1970s after being detained without trial for his activism.

Later in his political life, he preached moderate Islam and democratisation.

“Mahathir has proven his tenacity, accepted his past limitations, apologised and sacrificed his time and energy to raise the dignity of the people,” Anwar wrote to his supporters on May 8. “I urge you all to join the people’s movement to demand change.” </s> Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia’s king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, the newly installed prime minister said on Friday, in the latest dramatic development after the opposition toppled the long-ruling regime.

Anwar’s expected release paves the way for him to be handed power by Mahathir Mohamad, 92, who was sworn in as the world’s oldest leader on Thursday following his alliance’s stunning election victory.

Mahathir, who has said he plans to give the premiership to Anwar — his former nemesis — came out of retirement in reaction to a huge corruption scandal that ensnared ex-prime minister Najib Razak.

The former strongman teamed up with parties that had fought him vehemently during his two decades in power in a bid to oust the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

Anwar, from the People’s Justice Party, was a key leader of the opposition alliance.

One of Malaysia’s most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.

But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as they sought to eject Najib, who was accused of stealing billions of dollars from a state investment fund that he set up and oversaw.

Anwar was jailed again in 2015 during Najib’s rule, in a case widely condemned as politically motivated. He was due out in June but Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, during a meeting on Thursday with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant him a royal pardon immediately.

The royal pardon would mean he can participate in politics again straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years.

"We will begin the … proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir said. "He should be released immediately when he is pardoned."

Mahathir’s reconciliation with Anwar has been one of the most remarkable aspects of an electrifying election race.

Mahathir also announced that 10 cabinet positions would be filled on Saturday.

The opposition faced an uphill battle at the election due to what critics said were no-holds-barred attempts by Najib to hang on to power.

His government was accused of gerrymandering while activists said he hurled cash and gifts at voters and there was a litany of problems with the electoral roll, including dead people appearing on the list.

But voters turned out in droves, determined to push out the scandal-plagued government, with the opposition boosted by the presence of standard-bearer Mahathir, who has a huge following among the country’s Muslim Malay majority. </s> KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, the newly installed prime minister said Friday, in the latest dramatic development after the opposition toppled the long-ruling regime.

Anwar's expected release paves the way for him to be handed power by Mahathir Mohamad, 92, who was sworn in as the world's oldest leader Thursday following his alliance's stunning election victory.

Mahathir, who has said he plans to give the premiership to Anwar -- his former nemesis -- came out of retirement after he was angered at a massive corruption scandal that ensnared ex-prime minister Najib Razak.

The former strongman teamed up with parties that had fought him vehemently during his two decades in power in a bid to oust the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

Anwar, from the People's Justice Party, was a key leader of the opposition alliance.

One of Malaysia's most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.

But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as they sought to eject Najib, who was accused of stealing billions of dollars from a state investment fund that he set up and oversaw.

Anwar was jailed again in 2015 during Najib's rule, in a case widely condemned as politically motivated.

He was due out in June but Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, during a meeting Thursday with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant him a royal pardon immediately.

The royal pardon would mean he can participate in politics again straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years.

"We will begin the... proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir told reporters.

"He should be released immediately when he is pardoned."

Mahathir's reconciliation with Anwar has been one of the most remarkable aspects of an electrifying election race.

Mahathir also announced that 10 cabinet positions would be filled on Saturday.

The opposition faced an uphill battle at the election due to what critics said were no-holds-barred attempts by Najib to hang on to power.

His government was accused of gerrymandering while activists said he hurled cash and gifts at voters and there was a litany of problems with the electoral roll, including dead people appearing on the list.

But voters turned out in droves, determined to push out the scandal-plagued government, with the opposition boosted by the presence of standard-bearer Mahathir, who has a huge following among the country's Muslim Malay majority. </s> Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is expected to be released from prison on June 11, an event that is likely to have implications for the country's political temperature.

"God willing, he will be released on June 11," his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said in a speech at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) function, as quoted by The Star Online.

Dr Wan Azizah is president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a federal opposition party that heads the PH alliance ruling Selangor. She was also quoted by The Malaysian Insight news portal as saying: "If the law permits, he will be released on June 11."

This is the first time anyone has given an actual date for Anwar's release after serving a five-year sentence for sodomy. Anwar started serving the sentence in February 2015, meaning he would be released in 2020, should he have to serve the full term.

But prisoners in Malaysia often get a one-third reduction of sentences for good behaviour. By June this year, Anwar would have been in jail for 40 months - or two-thirds of his five-year sentence.

The announcement came amid preparations for the general election by both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, and the four-party PH opposition alliance helmed by ex-premier Tun Mahathir Mohamad, 92.

Datuk Seri Najib is expected to call for the polls within months.

Some pundits see a window for the elections after the Chinese New Year holidays on Feb 16 and 17, and before the Muslim fasting month on May 16. Polls could be held as late as August this year.

"Dr Mahathir is sharp on policies and knows the workings of the government; Anwar will rally the urban crowd," said ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Norshahril Saat. "If Anwar is out, BN's strategy will change and they could bring back the old stories" about the Mahathir-Anwar breakup in 1998, she added.

That year, then prime minister Dr Mahathir sacked Anwar, then his deputy. The two politicians have come together again after Dr Mahathir left Umno in early 2016. Dr Mahathir is officially the chairman of PH and Anwar its de facto leader.

Due to his conviction, Anwar cannot stand for election over the next five years unless he is pardoned by the Malaysian King.

But once freed from jail, the 70-year-old charismatic opposition chief could freely travel to work the ground, and inject energy into the opposition.

His ability to get voters excited about his "reform agenda" and in uniting the opposition shook Malaysian politics in the 2008 and 2013 polls. The opposition in 2008 captured five of Malaysia's 13 state assemblies. And in 2013, the united opposition for the first time won the popular vote.

Based on this history, PM Najib might consider calling the elections before June, some pundits say.

Mr Najib, 64, is currently unassailable in his party Umno and in the 13-party BN coalition, after locally containing the scandal surrounding state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

On the other hand, the opposition is weaker following Anwar's jailing and the death of spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), both in February 2015. PAS is now leaning towards BN-led Umno.

The four-party PH, when not busy trading barbs with PAS, is split on whether to nominate Dr Mahathir as its candidate for prime minister, should it win the upcoming elections.

PH is holding its national convention today, when it is expected to name its nominee prime minister.

Leaders of the opposition pact yesterday held a five-hour meeting to decide on its nominee, but declined to tell reporters on what was decided.

"Tomorrow (Sunday), you will hear all the announcements that will clear all of your questions," Dr Mahathir told reporters, as quoted by Malaysiakini. </s> Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, jailed for sodomy four years ago, has walked free from prison after receiving a royal pardon.

Anwar’s release is the first big success of the newly elected governing coalition, Pakatan Harapan, led by 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, which was swept from opposition into power after a shock election victory last week.

At 11.30am on Wednesday, a frail but jubilant Anwar emerged from Charas rehabilitation hospital in Kuala Lumpur where he has recently been serving his sentence after an operation on his shoulder. He waved to the gathered crowds before getting into a car to go to the National Palace.

Few in Malaysia have been persecuted for their political views and popularity like Anwar, a man with three prison sentences and 11 years in jail to his name. The pardon was filed on the basis of a “miscarriage of justice”.

Sankara Nair, Anwar’s lawyer, said Anwar had seemed “composed and was quite upbeat, but also quite nervous” as he prepared to leave the the hospital. “It’s exhilarating to see him released, this was clearly a miscarriage of justice. This pardon has completely cleared him name at last, but it is a unique pardon, there has never been one like this in Malaysia.”

It was his first taste of freedom since 2014, following a prison sentence widely perceived as politically motivated; a manoeuvre by then prime minister Najib Razak to get rid of a feared political rival who had run against him - and won the popular vote - in the 2013 general election.



Speaking the day before his release, Izzah said that Anwar was “deeply exhilarated” at the prospect of release from prison. “It’s been so long that we’ve been craving not just freedom but justice,” she said. “The pardon will completely validate his innocence, so it’s a wonderful day for us. We’ve always been fighting alongside him.”



Among the crowds was Anwar’s old university friend, 78-year-old Azidin Mahmud, who travelled 300 miles to see his old friend’s release. “He has suffered too long but he really is a champion of justice,” said Azidin. “I saw him first speaking at the university of Malaysian Speaker’s Corner in 1968. Then we travelled together around all Malaysia, fighting for the freedom of the poor man. I am very very happy to see my friend finally released today. Long live Anwar Ibrahim.”

Ensuring the full royal pardon of Anwar was a key part of the agreement between Mahathir and the opposition when it was decided in January he would swap sides and run as their leader in the election, united by a joint desire to oust Najib. Mahathir’s previous 22-year reign as prime minister was as head of ruling party UMNO.

Under the same agreement, Mahathir will only serve as prime minister for two years, before handing power, finally, to Anwar. It was a vow he reiterated on the eve of Anwar’s release. “Maybe lasting one or two years, I will be the prime minister,” said Mahathir, though added: “I will play a role in the background even when I step down.”

The release also marks the next phase in Mahathir and Anwar’s turbulent relationship, which has been a decisive part of Malaysian politics for over three decades - Mahathir, after all, was the reason Anwar was jailed in the first place.

Anwar began his career in politics as Mahathir’s protege in the early 1980s – having already spent almost two years in jail for political protest – and quickly rose through the ranks to become deputy prime minister in 1993.

But his first downfall came in 1998, when he and Mahathir fell out over alleged cronyism and economic crisis, and when Mahathir began to fear Anwar’s vast popularity. Anwar was ousted from office and then found himself charged with sodomy and corruption. The resulting court case, the longest in Malaysian history, was an exercise in humiliation for Anwar, who was accused of sodomy with his speechwriter and wife’s chauffeur.

“I cannot accept a man who is a sodomist to become the leader of this country,” said Mahathir at the time. Even though the evidence was flimsy and much of it coerced, Anwar was found guilty in 1999 of corruption and in 2000 of sodomy, landing him with a cumulative 15 year prison sentence.

He was allowed out in 2004, having spent six years in solitary confinement, and was allowed back into politics in 2008, when he ran as opposition leader in the election. But his reappearance on the political scene was not without ramifications. In 2010, he was put on trial again for sodomy, in hearings that went on for two years. He was acquitted, then ran again as opposition leader in the 2013 elections, gaining more of the votes, but still losing to Najib.

Less than a year after Najib won the election, Anwar’s acquittal was overturned and he was sentenced to five years in jail for sodomy, where he has remained since.

Throughout his ordeal, Anwar has remained a uniting figure for the opposition, and his release will be decisive for the Pakatan Harapan coalition, who are already grappling with tension among their divided ranks of Anwar’s PKR party, Mahathir’s party Bersatu, the DAP and Amanah. </s> KAJANG - Malaysia's jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will be released from prison on June 8, two days ahead of schedule, the Prisons Department director-general said on Sunday (Jan 7).

"The 2000 Prison Regulations (No. 28) states that if a prisoner's release date falls on a weekend or public holiday, they have to be released the day before," Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar was quoted saying by the website.

"Because June 10 is a Sunday and June 9 is a Saturday, he (Anwar) will be released on Friday, June 8," he said.

Anwar's wife and Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had announced at the launch of the Wanita Pakatan Harapan convention in Kajang on Saturday that he would be released from prison on June 11.

His release date was determined based on calculations made in accordance with Section 44 of the Prison Act (1995) and Rule No. 43 (1)(a) of the Prisons Regulations, Datuk Seri Zulkifli said.

Anwar is serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomy, a charge he has said is politically motivated.

He cannot run for political office for five years after his release, unless the Malaysian King pardons him. </s> Jailed Malaysian Opposition Leader To Be Pardoned After His Party's Victory

Another twist has emerged in the stunning ouster of Malaysia's long-ruling party, as Anwar Ibrahim, the popular opposition leader who was jailed for sodomy in 2015, will get a royal pardon — clearing the way for him to possibly become prime minister.

The move had been discussed as a possibility before the election, but that was before the opposition pulled off its upset victory. The new coalition is led by Mahathir Mohamad – Anwar's one-time ally, then his bitter enemy and, most recently, his political savior.

With Thursday's win, Mahathir, 92, became the world's oldest elected leader. But one day after being sworn in, he announced that Malaysia's king is willing to extend a full pardon for Anwar. The longtime opposition figure was already set to be released in June, but a pardon would mean he can return to politics immediately.

Before Anwar, 70, can serve in a high office, Mahatir said, he'll need to become a member of Parliament – and, he warned, "That might take a long time."

Mahathir broke that news alongside Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah, who is slated to be the deputy prime minister in the new government that's being formed by Mahatir and the Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) party.

"I am very happy to note that when I met my husband he was in a jubilant mood," Wan Azizah said on Friday, according to Malaysia's Star newspaper. "He followed the events of the new prime minister and how Pakatan Harapan winning has created history and that he is part of it."

Wan Azizah is the leader of the Justice Party, which Anwar founded. It's one of the main parties in the winning coalition.

Accused in separate incidents over the years of having sex with his wife's driver and with an aide, Anwar has denied the charges against him. His prosecution was widely seen as politically motivated, because he posed a threat to now-former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Mahathir was Malaysia's prime minister for more than 20 years. He resigned the post in 2003; five years earlier, he had fired Anwar and leveled pointed criticisms at his former deputy, who was once seen as his heir apparent.

Since their rift, Anwar has been arrested, beaten, and twice imprisoned. He was accused of homosexual sodomy and abuse of power. At his trial in the late 1990s, prosecutors repeatedly brought what they said was a semen-stained mattress into court. He has won acquittals, only to have prosecutors win reversals against him, such as as when he was sent to prison in 2015.

Despite all of that history, Anwar and Mahathir have managed to reconcile, and now, to make history in Malaysia. Leading up to Mahathir's return to power, the once and future prime minister acknowledged both his age, and his political past.

"I am already old," he said in a campaign video cited by the AP. "I haven't much time left. I have to do some work to rebuild our country; perhaps because of mistakes I, myself, made in the past."

On Thursday, Mahathir tweeted, "First day on the job... once again." The message included a photo showing Wan Azizah sitting to his right.

The turnabout comes as Malaysia wrestles with a massive corruption case, with hundreds of millions of dollars winding up in Najib's personal bank account and billions more suspected of being illegally diverted from a government investment company. </s> Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says the country's king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, paving the way for his imminent release.

This means Mr Anwar could be out of jail sooner than June 9, his scheduled release date.

Mr Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, is serving a prison term for the politically-motivated charge of sodomy.

A pardon will mean that Mr Anwar is free to return to politics and could take a seat in parliament.

Mr Anwar and Dr Mahathir, former allies and then implacable foes, joined hands to contest this week's election and oust the administration of Najib Razak.

Dr Mahathir was sworn into office by Malaysia's constitutional monarch late on Thursday, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at the age of 92.

Mr Ibrahim watched the swearing-in ceremony of Dr Mohamad from a prison hospital, filmed by a member of his party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Dr Mahathir has said he will eventually stand aside to allow Mr Anwar to take over the running of the country.

On Friday, he held a meeting of top alliance partners as he got down to the business of forming a government that, for the first time in the country's history, would not be from the Barisan Nasional coalition.

Speaking at a news conference, Dr Mahathir said he would announce a 10-member cabinet on Saturday, including ministers for finance, defence and home affairs. </s> Jailed Malaysian reformist Anwar Ibrahim was granted a full pardon on Wednesday and walked out of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur just a week after his alliance scored a shock victory in a general election.

 Smiling and waving to supporters, Anwar, dressed in a black suit and tie and his hair neatly swept back, was surrounded by his family, lawyers and prison guards before driving to the palace for an audience with King Sultan Muhammad V..

 As he started his new life as a free man, Anwar Ibrahim declared a “new dawn for Malaysia.” The 70-year-old pledged to support top-to-bottom reform of the country, adding: “Now there is a new dawn for Malaysia. I must thank the people of Malaysia,”

 “The entire spectrum of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, have stood by the principles of democracy and freedom. They demand change.” He was greeted at the palace by new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, his ally-turned-foe-turned-ally, with whom he joined forces to oust scandal-tainted Najib Razak’s administration in last week’s election.

 “The king, with the advice of the pardons board of the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, has allowed a full pardon and given an immediate release for … Anwar bin Ibrahim,” said a statement issued by the palace.

 Anwar, serving a five year-sentence for sodomy, has been recovering from a shoulder injury in hospital under police guard. The pardon allows Anwar to re-enter active politics immediately, but it was not clear what his role in government would be. Mahathir, 92, had vowed to enable Anwar’s release and eventually step aside for him to become the prime minister. On Tuesday, Mahathir said he expected to be prime minister for one or two more years, setting off talk of differences between the two.

 “Seeing him walk free makes me emotional, but the fight is not over,” said Ridzuan Ismail, an Anwar supporter at the hospital. “Now we need to see him become prime minister.” Jack Seng, another supporter wearing a shirt with a logo of Anwar behind bars, said he thought Mahathir and Anwar would resolve any tensions between them.—Agencies
Malaysian longtime opposition figure and leader of incumbent government party Pakatan Harapan, Anwar Ibrahim is released from prison after obtaining a full royal pardon from King Muhammad V. Anwar was imprisoned in 2015 during the tenure of Najib Razak for charges widely considered to be politically motivated.