Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, released from prison

Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, was released from prison on Wednesday, May 15, following a full pardon from the King of Malaysia. According to Al Jazeera, Mr. Ibrahim, who appeared at a press conference after his release, thanked the people of Malaysia for standing "by the principles of democracy and freedom." He stated, "A new dawn has begun for Malaysia. I must thank the people of Malaysia, the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans, and all the chains that have formed Malaysia regardless of race and religion." This political figure further said, "They are calling for change, and now it is our duty to proudly execute this mandate entrusted to Pakatan Harapan (the political coalition)." Malaysian media published a picture of the 71-year-old Anwar Ibrahim visiting Mahathir Mohamad, the new Prime Minister of Malaysia and his ally, after his release. Mahathir Mohamad, following his victory in the recent Malaysian elections and assuming the Prime Minister's position, had requested the King to grant Anwar Ibrahim a royal pardon. Mr. Ibrahim, who was accused of "committing sodomy," was sentenced to five years in prison, of which he spent about three years in custody. Reuters reports that the current question for Malaysia is how Anwar Ibrahim will cooperate with Mahathir Mohamad and what role he will play in his government. He himself has stated that he wants to spend time with his family and does not currently intend to join the cabinet. He also mentioned that he supports the new government led by Mahathir Mohamad and "Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail," the Deputy Prime Minister who is also Anwar Ibrahim's wife. Anwar Ibrahim was the Deputy of Mahathir Mohamad in the 1990s but fell out with him during the economic crisis that affected East Asia, leading to his expulsion from the ruling party and the founding of the so-called "Reformasi" movement to challenge the government. He was imprisoned for a few weeks for the first time on charges of sodomy and financial corruption. The sodomy charge was repeated years later, resulting in a five-year prison sentence. Anwar Ibrahim and his supporters have always denied these charges, stating that there were political motivations behind such accusations.