Who is Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian Prime Minister?

“I was in jail, but you almost made it there,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joked to US President Donald Trump as cameras rolled.

It was a dangerous joke — one he quickly abandoned given Trump’s not-so-amusing demeanor — but also one that perhaps only a veteran politician reveling in his recent victories would dare to make.

He had just signed an agreement with Trump to lower tariffs on Malaysian exports to the US from 24% to 19%. While many other details remain unclear, any reassurance that levies will not rise further is welcome amid all the uncertainty.

But most important of all, Anwar had secured Trump’s presence at a regional summit whose relevance had been repeatedly questioned. The US president was at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, meeting in Kuala Lumpur solely to preside over the much-touted “peace deal” between Thailand and Cambodia that Anwar orchestrated.

He also brokered a fragile ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia after deadly border clashes earlier this year – he intervened after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on both countries if the fighting did not stop.

Some called it a diplomatic victory for Malaysia, while others said Anwar was simply in the right place at the right time – this year it was the Malaysian prime minister’s turn to lead ASEAN.

But Anwar would say he waited 25 years for his turn – a tumultuous time in the wings during which he was jailed twice.

Anwar first made a name for himself as a charismatic student leader who founded Malaysia’s Islamic youth movement ABIM.

In 1982, he joined the long-ruling United Malay National Organization (UMNO) party, surprising many who expected him to step down from power.

But it turned out to be a shrewd political move – he quickly climbed the ladder and occupied numerous ministerial posts.

In 1993, he became deputy to then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and was considered his successor. That was until they fell out over the handling of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which hit Malaysia hard.

Anwar was fired the following year, then jailed for sodomy and corruption, charges he denies to this day, saying they were part of a smear campaign to remove him as a political threat.

In 2004, a year after Mahathir stepped down, Malaysia’s Supreme Court overturned the sodomy conviction and freed Anwar. He emerged as the leader of a reinvigorated opposition, leading it to its strongest performance yet in the 2013 elections.

Less than a year later, as he prepared to run in a state election, new sodomy charges were brought against him, sending him back to prison.

Then in 2016, in a shocking turn of events, Mahathir came out of retirement to run for the top job as then-leader Najib Razak faced corruption charges.

Mahathir, then 92, made an unlikely deal with the still-imprisoned Anwar, where he promised to release Anwar if elected and eventually hand over the prime ministership to him. Their coalition noted a historic win in 2018but the alliance began to unravel as the minor continued to move the stakes for the transfer of power.

In the 2022 elections, Anwar’s coalition won the most seats but still fell short of the numbers needed to form a government.

After days of deadlock, the king appointed him prime minister.

Some thought his tenure would be short. But almost three years later, the 78-year-old has already held the post longer than his three predecessors.

Anwar’s greatest achievement is perhaps the political stability he appears to have brought to a country that went through three prime ministers between 2020 and 2021.

“These days, Malaysia is sometimes considered one of the most stable in Southeast Asia … which has also made it relatively attractive to investors,” said Siyaza Shukri, a professor of political science at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

But the cost of living is rising, as it is in so many other countries. In July, 20,000 protesters took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur to demand Anwar’s resignation over rising costs and a lack of economic reforms.

And expensive investments in semiconductor manufacturing and data centers are yet to pay off. That is why the tariff deal with the US was crucial for the export-oriented economy.

Others accuse his administration of not doing enough to promote a more inclusive Malaysia in the face of rising Islamism. Religious outrage has sometimes turned violent in the Muslim-majority country, which also has a sizeable ethnic Chinese population.

In 2024, a chain of convenience stores sparked outrage for selling socks emblazoned with “Allah” – the Arabic word for God – which many Muslims saw as an insult to Islam. The store was attacked with Molotov cocktails as people called for it to be boycotted and company executives to be charged.

In 2023, a Chinese Muslim restaurant had to publicly apologize after coming under fire for a member of staff wearing a crucifix necklace.

“The middle ground for Malaysian politics is no longer a tolerant multiracial Malaysia, but a conservative Malaysia with an Islamic outlook… Anwar’s stance on political Islam may just move the country into uncharted territory,” Asian studies professor James Chin wrote in a commentary published by CNA.

Critics also accuse Anwar of favoritism and question his promises to fight corruption – in a controversial move, prosecutors dropped 47 corruption charges in 2023 against a key Anwar ally, the deputy prime minister.

Internationally, Anwar is more successful.

As prime minister, he faces a deft balancing act to ensure that the emerging economy he oversees does not fall between the US and China.

He also invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the meeting. Xi was on an official visit to Malaysia in April after a 12-year hiatus, but missed this week’s summit.

But Trump’s presence was no small thing for Southeast Asian economies that rely on the US market. This meant that other countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, could also negotiate details and get guarantees on tariffs – which they would consider a victory for now.

Anwar is very active on the diplomatic front. In his first year as prime minister, he visited all ASEAN countries except Myanmar, where civil war has raged since the military seized power in 2021.

It has been one of ASEAN’s most intractable challenges — while Anwar has been praised for speaking out more on the issue, little has changed on the ground, in part because China has the most influence over the military junta.

Still, Professor Chin believes Anwar has “moved the needle a bit” in restoring ASEAN’s relevance.

His role in the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire also strengthened Anwar’s position, but these diplomatic victories mean little to ordinary Malaysians.

What has resonated at home is his advocacy of the Palestinian cause, which has grown louder since the start of the 2023 Gaza war.

“Anwar needs to fly the Palestinian flag all the way to satisfy public opinion and to fortify himself against attacks from opponents who accuse him of not going far enough,” said Ariel Tan, coordinator of the Malaysia program at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

But Anwar also faces a dilemma because he must maintain good relations with Washington, Israel’s most powerful ally, Ms. Tan says.

“Since Trump’s re-election, he has scaled back his criticism of the United States’ role in the conflict. US engagement has become more critical, especially with the threat of tariffs.”

The question is, will Anwar manage to balance the demands at home with those abroad, and will he begin to replicate his international success on the domestic stage?

The answer to this will be crucial to his survival in the next election in 2028.