Anwar Ibrahim in the context of Mahathir Mohamad


Anwar Ibrahim in the context of Mahathir Mohamad

⭐ Core Definition: Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar bin Ibrahim (born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th prime minister of Malaysia since 2022. He has been the president of the People's Justice Party since 2018 and has represented Tambun in the Parliament of Malaysia since 2022. Since assuming office as prime minister, Anwar appointed himself as Minister of Finance. Anwar is also the chairman of Pakatan Harapan coalition since 2020.

Born in the Crown Colony of Penang during the Malayan Union, Anwar graduated from University of Malaya. Prior to entering politics, he served as president of the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students and of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement. He later joined UMNO, then the dominant party in the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. He became the 7th deputy prime minister in 1993 and served as Minister of Finance from 1991, playing a key role in Malaysia's response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In 1998, Anwar was removed from all government posts by then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and subsequently led the Reformasi movement against the government. He was jailed in April 1999 on charges of corruption and sodomy, until his release in 2004 after his conviction was overturned. He returned to politics as the 12th leader of the opposition from 2008 to 2015, merging opposition parties into the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, which contested the 2008 and 2013 general elections. He disputed the 2013 election results and led subsequent protests.

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Anwar Ibrahim in the context of ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping of all 11 states in Southeast Asia, which aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its members. Together, its member states represent a population of more than 600 million people and a land area of over 4.5 million km (1.7 million sq mi). The bloc generated a purchasing power parity (PPP) gross domestic product (GDP) of around US$10.2 trillion in 2022, constituting approximately 6.5% of global GDP (PPP). ASEAN member states include some of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the institution plays an integral role in East Asian regionalism.

The primary objectives of ASEAN, as stated by the association, are "to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region", and "to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter." In recent years, the bloc has broadened its objectives beyond economic and social spheres. The current Secretary-General is Kao Kim Hourn, while the chairmanship for this year is held by Malaysia, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The ASEAN chairmanship was handed over formally to the Philippines for 2026 on 28 October 2025. Full chairmanship will be assumed on 1 January 2026.

View the full Wikipedia page for ASEAN
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