Anwar bin Ibrahim (Jawi: انور بن ابراهيم; born 10 August 1947) is a prominent Malaysian politician who has held the office of the tenth Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He has had a diverse political career, serving as the Leader of the Opposition on two occasions, from 2008 to 2015 and again from 2020 to 2022. Anwar has been the chairman of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition since 2020 and the second President of the People's Justice Party (PKR) since 2018. He represents the Tambun constituency as a Member of Parliament, having assumed the role in November 2022.
Anwar's political journey began at the University of Malaya, where he emerged as a leader in student politics, eventually becoming the President of the Malaysian Islamic Students' Association (PKPIM) and a co-founder of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM). He joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), where he quickly ascended through various cabinet roles, notably serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister in the 1990s. He played a crucial role in managing Malaysia's response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
His political career faced significant challenges, including a controversial removal from power in 1998 and subsequent imprisonment for sodomy and corruption charges, which he always denied. After his release in 2004, Anwar returned to politics, leading the opposition and uniting various parties. His resilience culminated in the 2018 general election victory for the PH coalition, which led to his royal pardon and return to parliament. Following the 2022 elections, Anwar was appointed Prime Minister, also taking on the role of Finance Minister in a new unity government.
