KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s general election on Nov 19 saw a record number of voters, as well as its first hung Parliament with no clear winner. After five days of negotiations and intrigue, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was finally sworn in as Prime Minister, leading a coalition government that is, on paper, the strongest Malaysia has had since 2004. The Straits Times takes a look at some of the winners and losers of the historic polls.

A two-time opposition leader and former deputy prime minister, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief had made multiple unsuccessful bids for the country’s top job, through disputed elections and attempted midterm change of governments. Datuk Seri Anwar was subject to jokes about his seemingly endless wait to become premier, ever since he was removed as DPM in 1998 by then Premier Mahathir Mohamad, once his mentor, because of sodomy and corruption allegations. Mr Anwar was jailed twice, before being exonerated of all his convictions in 2018.