After three years in prison, Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim is now a free man after receiving a royal pardon.

The 70-year-old Anwar walked out of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday where he was receiving treatment for a shoulder injury, and headed for a meeting with King Sultan Muhammad V.

Anwar was convicted in 2024 on charges of corruption and sodomy that were widely denounced as politically motivated. He served as deputy prime minister and finance minister under newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during the latter's first tenure as leader, and was seen as Mahathir's heir-apparent until he was fired in 1999.

The two men reconciled and joined forces to form the Alliance of Hope opposition party that scored an upset victory in last week's parliamentary elections, ousting Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Barisan Nasional coalition, which ruled Malaysia uninterrupted for over six decades.

The election made the 92-year-old Mahathir, who ruled Malaysia with an iron fist from 1981 to 2003, the world's oldest elected leader. He says he will run the government for two years before turning over the reins to Anwar. Anwar must first be re-elected to parliament before he can succeed Mahathir.

馬來西亞政治人物安華在監獄服刑3年之后獲得王室特赦，恢復自由。

70歲的安華星期三在吉隆坡一家醫院治療肩傷后走出，前去與馬來西亞國王穆罕默德五世會面。

安華2024年被判犯有腐敗罪和雞奸罪，很多人譴責其中有政治動機。馬哈蒂爾首次當選總理后，安華曾擔任副總理兼財政部長。他被廣泛認為是馬哈蒂爾的接班人，直至1999年被解職。

安華和馬哈蒂爾后來重歸于好，聯手組建反對黨希望聯盟，并在上星期的議會選舉中意外獲勝，讓總理納吉布下臺，同時結束了巫統60多年來連續統治馬來西亞的局面。

1981年到2003年以鐵腕治理馬來西亞的馬哈蒂爾今年92歲，是世界上最年長的國家領導人。他說他將執政兩年，然后把權力交給安華。安華必須先當選為議員才能接任總理。

After three years in prison, Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim is now a free man after receiving a royal pardon.

The 70-year-old Anwar walked out of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday where he was receiving treatment for a shoulder injury, and headed for a meeting with King Sultan Muhammad V.

Anwar was convicted in 2024 on charges of corruption and sodomy that were widely denounced as politically motivated. He served as deputy prime minister and finance minister under newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during the latter's first tenure as leader, and was seen as Mahathir's heir-apparent until he was fired in 1999.

The two men reconciled and joined forces to form the Alliance of Hope opposition party that scored an upset victory in last week's parliamentary elections, ousting Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Barisan Nasional coalition, which ruled Malaysia uninterrupted for over six decades.

The election made the 92-year-old Mahathir, who ruled Malaysia with an iron fist from 1981 to 2003, the world's oldest elected leader. He says he will run the government for two years before turning over the reins to Anwar. Anwar must first be re-elected to parliament before he can succeed Mahathir.

馬來西亞政治人物安華在監獄服刑3年之后獲得王室特赦，恢復自由。

70歲的安華星期三在吉隆坡一家醫院治療肩傷后走出，前去與馬來西亞國王穆罕默德五世會面。

安華2024年被判犯有腐敗罪和雞奸罪，很多人譴責其中有政治動機。馬哈蒂爾首次當選總理后，安華曾擔任副總理兼財政部長。他被廣泛認為是馬哈蒂爾的接班人，直至1999年被解職。

安華和馬哈蒂爾后來重歸于好，聯手組建反對黨希望聯盟，并在上星期的議會選舉中意外獲勝，讓總理納吉布下臺，同時結束了巫統60多年來連續統治馬來西亞的局面。

1981年到2003年以鐵腕治理馬來西亞的馬哈蒂爾今年92歲，是世界上最年長的國家領導人。他說他將執政兩年，然后把權力交給安華。安華必須先當選為議員才能接任總理。