KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — More than two decades after his dramatic ouster from government and imprisonment, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim finally has his day.

Anwar was named Malaysia’s 10th prime minister by the nation’s king Thursday, trumping a Malay nationalist leader to clinch the top job after divisive general elections led to a hung Parliament.

Becoming prime minister caps Anwar’s roller-coaster political journey, from a former deputy prime minister whose sacking and imprisonment in the 1990s led to massive street protests and a reform movement that rose into a major political force. It is a second victory for his reformist bloc, which won 2018 polls but lost power after 22 months due to a power struggle that has led to continuous political turmoil.

Last Saturday’s election, which was supposed to end the instability that had led to three prime ministers since 2018, instead produced new uncertainty after no party won a clear mandate. Anwar’s multiethnic Alliance of Hope, led with 82 seats, short of the 112 needed for a majority. Muhyiddin’s right-leaning National Alliance won 73 seats, with its ally Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party emerging as the biggest single party with 49 seats.

Anwar emerged victorious after smaller blocs agreed to back him to form a unity government. Still, he faces a tall task in bridging racial divides that deepened after Saturday’s poll and reviving an economy struggling with rising inflation and a currency that has fallen to its weakest point. Malays are two-thirds of Malaysia’s 33 million people, which include large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.

“Anwar’s political struggle is of a comparable level as (South Africa’s) Nelson Mandela, as both went through many persecutions in the process of democratizing their countries,” said Ei Sun Oh with Singapore’s Institute of International Affairs. “It is hoped that with Anwar in charge, Malaysia could revert to a more open and inclusive society and economy that would hopefully restore its prestige on the world stage.”

Anwar, 75, had been on the cusp of power twice.

A firebrand youth leader, Anwar founded an Islamic youth movement before he was recruited into the then-ruling United Malays National Organization. He enjoyed a meteoric rise to become deputy prime minister-cum-finance minister in the 1990s. He was groomed to take over from then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad but a bitter fallout over Malaysia’s response to the Asian economic crisis saw Anwar sacked in September 1998, detained without trial and then charged with sodomy and corruption.

Tens of thousands took to the streets to protest Anwar’s treatment. When Anwar was brought to court with a black eye nine days after his arrest — due to an assault in custody by the country’s then police chief — it quickly became a symbol for his new People’s Justice Party and its vows for reforms. He was jailed six years for sodomy in 1999 and a year later, another nine years for corruption — charges Anwar said were a political conspiracy by Mahathir to end his career. His case drew international criticism, with Amnesty International calling Anwar a “prisoner of conscience.”

Anwar was freed in 2004 after Malaysia’s top court overturned his sodomy conviction, a year after Mahathir stepped down as prime minister after 22 years in power.

But Anwar was imprisoned a second time for sodomy in 2015 — in a case he said was aimed at crushing his alliance which was making gains against the UMNO-led government. Yet, he didn’t give up.

From his prison cell, Anwar made up with Mahathir, who returned to politics as anger boiled over a multibillion-dollar scandal involving the 1MDB state investment fund. Their reunion led to historic 2018 polls that saw the unthinkable ouster of the UMNO-led alliance, which had led since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957.

Mahathir became the world’s oldest leader at 92 after the victory. Anwar was pardoned shortly after and would have succeeded Mahathir, but infighting led to their government’s collapse just after 22 months. UMNO returned as part of a quarrelsome government with Muhyiddin’s National Alliance bloc that includes a hardline Islamic ally.

Still, the brief rule by Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan led to a significant upheaval as once-power UMNO leaders were jailed or brought to court for graft. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak was imprisoned in a case linked to the 1MDB saga. His wife, UMNO’s current chief and several party leaders are also battling separate corruption charges.

Anwar campaigned on a multiracial platform, promising to end racial and religious bigotry and plug billions of dollar lost to entrenched corruption. He finally succeeded in his dogged quest Thursday after a long battle.

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Story: Eileen Ng.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s next government appeared to be leaning to the religious right as a coalition of Malay nationalists won support of an influential bloc on Sunday after tightly fought general elections failed to produce a clear winner. The nation’s king still has to approve any deal.

The unprecedented hung parliament after Saturday’s divisive polls saw the rise of the the Malay-centric Perikatan Nasional, or National Alliance, led by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. It stunned many Malaysians who had hoped for stability and unity after political turmoil that has seen three prime ministers since 2018 polls.

Muhyiddin’s alliance was an underdog that enjoyed an unexpected surge of votes with 73 out of 222 parliamentary seats. Its hard-line ally is the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, the biggest winner with a haul of 49 seats — more than double what it won in 2018. Known as PAS, it touts Sharia, rules three states and is now the single largest party. Its rise has stoked fears of greater Islamization in the country.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist multiethnic alliance topped the race with 82 federal seats, but fell far short of the 112 needed for a majority.

In negotiations Sunday, Muhyiddin’s coalition edged closer to a victory after securing the backing of a political bloc in Sarawak, a state on Borneo island, that won 22 seats. He still needs a nod from another key player, the long-ruling United Malays National Organization, to muster a majority.

The arrangement, if confirmed by the king, means that Muhyiddin will return as prime minister.

UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he hasn’t held any talks with Muhyiddin on the formation of a government. He said candidates from his National Front alliance have signed a pledge to give him the mandate to decide on any political cooperation.

Zahid, who has come under pressure to resign after UMNO’s second drubbing at the polls, warned that any members who violated party rules will be sacked and will have to vacate their parliamentary seat under a new law that bans switching of parties.

His statement came amid a split in the once-powerful alliance that had ruled Malaysia since independence from Britain until corruption scandals brought it down in 2018 . It won only 3 0 seats in its worst-ever performance as many Malays opted for Muhyiddin’s bloc, which has touted itself as a “caring, clean and stable” alternative.

Anwar reiterated Sunday that he had sufficient support from lawmakers for a simple majority but refused to divulge details until King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah gives his approval. The king’s role is largely ceremonial in Malaysia, but he appoints the person he believes has majority support in Parliament as prime minister.

“With the level of support, I am confident I will be given the chance to lead this country,” he said.

The palace said in a statement that Sultan Abdullah asked political chiefs to submit their choice for prime minister and for the alliance that will be formed for a parliamentary majority by Monday. The monarch said his decision will be final as he urged Malaysians to accept the outcome to ensure a stable government.

“This election had reinforced identity politics. Given that no party has outright majority, the newly formed coalition government will need to unite the nation,” said Amir Fareed Rahim, director of strategy at public affairs at political risk consultancy KRA Group.

Many rural Malays, who form two-thirds of Malaysia’s 33 million people — which includes large minorities of ethnic Chinese and Indians — fear they may lose their rights with greater pluralism under Anwar’s alliance. This, together with corruption in UMNO, has benefited Muhyiddin’s bloc.

Among other key election losers was two-time former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who at 97 is leading a separate Malay movement. He suffered a shocking defeat to the National Alliance.

Muhyiddin took power in March 2020, defecting from Anwar’s alliance and joining hands with the UMNO-led coalition in a move that triggered the government’s collapse. The partnership was beset by infighting and he resigned after 17 months.

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Story: Eileen Ng.