A lot has changed since my last conversation with Anwar Ibrahim 10 years ago, when he jumped on a crackly phone call between court hearings to reveal his chances of beating a trumped-up sodomy charge didn't look good. Today, Anwar is determined not to waste any more time... Under his watch, Malaysia is enjoying a glut in foreign investment from Western and Asian companies seeking to diversify supply chains from China.
Global politics of the past decade has been defined by eroding democracy as China's assertiveness under Xi Jinping and American disengagement under Donald Trump provided cover for coups and a new era of strongman (and woman) rule. Anwar's trajectory from ignominy to his nation's top job is the starkest counterpoint, following in the footsteps of formerly imprisoned national leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Vaclav Havel, and Nelson Mandela.
We have to emerge as a mature democracy, says Anwar. That means respect for rule of law and the principles of human rights and avoiding discrimination. However, challenges do remain, especially with the need to address societal divides and the country's political landscape that has been marked by corruption and discontent.
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