After two decades as leader of the opposition, Malaysian Anwar Ibrahim was finally set to become prime minister in 2020. But his alliance fell apart from infighting, leaving him as far from the post as ever. higher.
Now Anwar, 75, is taking over the national election campaign, trying to convince Malaysians to vote for him in the November 19 election as he seeks to finally achieve his long-held dream of becoming prime minister.
He was in his element on the stump: joking with his supporters as he peppered his speech with Quranic verses and Malay folklore to condemn his rivals and restore his leadership crest.
“I’m optimistic,” Anwar told Reuters on Friday night after a busy day of campaigning in his constituency of Tambun, western Malaysia, referring to his coalition’s chances of victory and the changing landscape. politics in a multi-ethnic Malaysia with a Muslim majority.
“We are here to focus on governance and the fight against corruption and rid this country of racism and religious bigotry,” he said.
Anwar’s alliance faces two other coalitions in the elections – one led by incumbent Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the other by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Several other parties are running, including one founded by another former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, a factor expected to divide votes more than ever.
Opinion polls predict a close race with no single party or coalition capable of winning the simple majority needed to form the government.
Anwar has the support of ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, who make up a third of the electorate, and voters in urban areas. In the town of Tambun, he drew hundreds at a campaign stop, with crowds pouring onto the road and the driver of a passing ambulance giving Anwar a thumbs-up.
But it lacks widespread appeal among the majority of Malaysians due to its opposition to affirmative action favoring them and past allegations of sodomy, a crime in Malaysia. Anwar spent around a decade in prison for sodomy and bribery.
A survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center showed Anwar trailing his two rivals by 8-12 percentage points despite a recent rise.
However, his multi-ethnic coalition was the most favored by voters with 26%, although nearly 31% have yet to decide who to vote for, Merdeka said. Ismail’s Barisan Nasional coalition came second with 24%