He rose through the ranks for a decade and a half, becoming heir apparent-only to give it up in 1998 to create a movement demanding a set of political changes known as reformasi. He endured repression, trumped-up sodomy charges, and torture during the quarter-century that followed. But power finally came back to Anwar, now 76: last November, after a divisive election, he cobbled together a unity government that made him Prime Minister.
Now, nearly a year into office, he's grappling with the rise of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) that is polarizing society and the continued fallout from the scandal that saw former Prime Minister Najib Razak, of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party, convicted of corruption in 2020. Anwar spoke to TIME about this and more from Malaysia's place in great-power competition to a civic culture of corruption.
The Biden Administration sees a global war between democracy and autocracy, between a rules-based, U.S.-led world order and one led by Russia and China. Where does Malaysia fit in? The bifurcation has not helped regional or international cooperation. But there's not much that small countries like Malaysia can do about it, except maintain the centrality of ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in our foreign policy]. We should be fiercely independent, and interact and engage with both. Fortunately, we have excellent relations with both East and West. My intention is to make sure that Malaysia emerges as a viable and mature democracy.
This story is from the October 23, 2023 edition of Time.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 23, 2023 edition of Time.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How Trump Won
THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S RE-ELECTION IS THE NEXT STEP IN A POLITICAL CAREER UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY
Zak Brown The McLaren Racing CEO on Formula One in the U.S., his team's chase for a championship, and the future propulsion of the automobile
The McLaren F1 team is in the running for its first Formula One constructors' championship since 1998. What's that like? I'm kind of living on the edge of my seat. That's why sport is always going to be one of the most engaging forms of entertainment for people around the world.
Say Nothing speaks volumes
IN 1972, AT THE BLOODY HEIGHT OF the Troubles, home invaders abducted a widowed mother of 10 named Jean McConville from her Belfast apartment. Her children never saw her alive again.
Portrait of the artist in his ninth decade
AS A CURATOR AT THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART, Eleanor Nairne is very particular about how an artwork should be placed. \"I always say that you have to ask the work if it's sat comfortably,\" she says.
No rest for the songs of Wicked
THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST HAS BEEN A FIXTURE in American culture for nearly 125 years. After coming to life in 1900 with L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, she rose to prominence onscreen in 1939, portrayed by Margaret Hamilton as a sinister old lady intent on ruining an innocent girl's wish to go home.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
With Here, Robert Zemeckis stays true to his unlikely blend of new technologies and old-fashioned storytelling
TIME 100 CLIMATE
These are the 100 most influential leaders driving business climate action
BABY TALK
UNSURE ABOUT HAVING KIDS? THERAPIST MERLE BOMBARDIERI CAN HELP YOU FIGURE IT OUT
The many horrors of the Pelicot rape trial
THE TRIAL OF DOMINIQUE PELICOT, THE MAN IN THE South of France who pleaded guilty in September to charges of secretly drugging his wife of 50 years, Gisele, and, over the course of about a decade, filming dozens of men as they had sex with her while she was sedated, would have been disturbing enough just as the story of an epically vile husband.
Health Matters
COVID-19 MAY NOT BE A PUBLIChealth emergency anymore, but you still need your yearly shot. In fact, it seems to peak about twice a year: once during the traditional respiratory-disease season in the fall and winter, and once during summer.
