In 1998, Anwar Ibrahim appeared to be a rising star; he was expected to succeed then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, his mentor. But then deputy prime minister Anwar became a fierce critic, and was subsequently arrested on allegations of corruption, and sentenced to six years in jail in 1999. In 2000 he was found guilty on a second charge, of sodomy, and sentenced to prison for another nine years. Anwar's camp has always called these trumped-up charges. In late 2004, Malaysia's Supreme Court overturned the sodomy sentence, and freed him. But in July this year, he was arrested on new charges of sodomy. In August, the opposition leader made it back into Parliament -- and says he intends to be prime minister in the near future. What a comeback he had made.
|