From Prison back to Parliament

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From Prison back to Parliament

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Former Deputy Premier of Malaysia, Mr Anwar Ibrahim today won the by-election in the Parliamentary constituency of Permatang Pauh in the northern Malaysian state of Penang.

Anwar, who is the de facto Opposition Leader and the Advisor to the People's Justice Party or Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won the by-election with a 15,671 majority in a three corner fight to make his return to Parliament. The by-election was held when his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vacated her seat which she had held for three terms following the imprisonment of her husband.

He was the Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. In 1998 he was dismissed from office when he had a fallout with the then Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad who accused him of corruption and immorality.

Anwar was subsequently jailed in 1999 after being sentenced on trumped up charges for corruption and alleged homosexual acts (sodomy). He was released in 2004 and was not eligible to contest in the recent 12th General Election in March 2008.

His ban from public office ended in April 14, 2008 and on July 31, 2008 his wife vacated her Parliamentary seat seat to make way for her husband's comeback.