Anwar Ibrahim: Key events in his political career

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim arrives at the court of appeals in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur on Oct 28, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim arrives at the court of appeals in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur on Oct 28, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP

Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's opposition leader and former deputy prime minister, is returning to court today to learn whether he will be jailed on sodomy charges. The 67-year-old has faced a string of charges in his career which he says are politically motivated. Here's a look at the key events:

1993: Anwar Ibrahim, then 46, becomes deputy prime minister under premier Mahathir Mohamad. The two have a very close working relationship and Anwar is considered by many to be the heir apparent.

September 1998: Anwar is sacked after falling out with Mahathir over calls for reform and an end to cronyism. He is charged with corruption and sodomy of his family driver Azizan Abu Bakar. Anwar denounces both as false and politically motivated.

April 1999: He is found guilty of corruption and sentenced to six years in jail.

June 2000: He is found guilty of sodomy and sentenced to nine years in jail.

September 2004: Anwar is released from jail after Malaysia's top court overturns his sodomy conviction and sentence. He quickly emerges as the de facto opposition leader

March 2008: He leads an opposition coalition to a landslide victory in a general election, wresting one-third of parliament's seats and five states from the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition.

April 2008: A ban against Anwar holding public office, related to his corruption conviction, expires.

June 2008: Anwar's former aide, 23-year-old Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, files a police report accusing him of sodomy in a Kuala Lumpur condo. Anwar denies the charges.

July 2008: Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, resigns from her parliamentary seat in Penang, her husband's home state, to allow him to contest in the by-election.

Aug 2008: Anwar is charged with sodomy.

Aug 2008: Anwar wins a landslide victory in the Penang by-election, is sworn into parliament and declared leader of the opposition.

February 2010: Anwar's second sodomy trial begins.

July 9, 2011: Anwar suffers a bruise on his head and a cut on his leg after police fire tear gas at protesters demanding election reforms.

July 10, 2011: Anwar warns Prime Minister Najib Razak's government that a revolution may soon occur unless protesters' demands for electoral reform and an "end to dirty politics" are met.

Aug 2011: In a statement to the high court in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar calls the sodomy charge against him "a vile and desperate attempt at character assassination".

Jan 2012: Anwar embarks on a national tour, rallying support before the court verdict, reasserting his innocence and rejecting the sodomy charge as false.

Jan 9, 2012: Anwar is acquitted of sodomy charges.

May 2013: He leads the opposition to its best-ever performance in the general elections

March 2014: The Court of Appeal finds Anwar guilty of sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari and sentences him to five years in jail, overturning the 2012 acquittal by the High Court.

October 2014: A five-member panel at the country's highest court hears a final appeal from Anwar against his sodomy conviction and five-year jail term.

SOURCE: The Guardian, BBC, CNN

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