Anwar Ibrahim, the imprisoned leader of Malaysia's opposition alliance, has endorsed a political compact spearheaded by his arch-nemesis Mahathir Mohamad, as ruling party rebels and the opposition join hands to fight against scandal-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak.
This new coalition could potentially pose the biggest political threat to Najib, who has been facing persistent calls to step down over multi-billion dollar graft allegations tied to the state-owned investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that he oversaw.
On Wednesday, U.S. prosecutors filed five lawsuits to seize more than $1 billion in assets they said were tied to money stolen from 1MDB. Both Anwar and former premier Mahathir have long been central figures in Malaysian politics. A bitter feud between the two senior leaders spanning nearly two decades has shaped the political landscape.
Anwar, who is one year through a five-year jail term for sodomy - a charge that he and his supporters claim is politically motivated - told Reuters there is "every reason" for the opposition to work with anyone who is committed to an agenda that pushes reforms, democracy and the rights of the people.
This is the second time Anwar has been sent to prison. He was first jailed by Mahathir on charges of sodomy and graft in the late 1990s, after he was sacked as deputy prime minister by Mahathir. Anwar, who has since been cleared of his earlier convictions, said he is willing to overlook the decades of bad blood he has had with Mahathir if it means giving power back to the people.
