Anwar one step closer to taking over from Malaysian PM

Former Malaysian deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim has made his political comeback by winning a by-election at Port Dickson, Malaysia. The results aren’t official but based on exit polls. The result, a strong mandate in a seven-contestant poll, puts him one step closer to taking over the reigns from Mahathir Mohamad, the current Malaysian PM, who committed to handing over the top job in a pact before this year’s national election.

Malaysiakini reports that Anwar was leading by a wide margin, representing close to 70 per cent of the votes cast.

Voters in the Malaysia parliamentary ward of Port Dickson went to the ballot box to pick a new lawmaker on Saturday in a closely watched seven-contestant by-election.

The victory is a crucial step for Anwarn’s political return. It paves the way for his return to Parliament and eventually to become PM under an agreement by the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

Anwar said he was “praying for the best,” when asked about his chances of winning the by-election. Anwar is currently president of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the core component of the coalition government.

93 year old Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad has promised to stay in office for two years before handing over power to Anwar.