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Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will compete Aug. 26 in a by-election for a parliamentary seat in Permatang Pauh, in his home state of Penang. Anwar’s main opponent is Arif Shah of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, though Hanafi Mamat of Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (another faction within the Barisan Nasional) is also contesting the seat.
The election is the next step in Anwar’s strategy for returning to political power after roughly a decade out of office. He has held the Permatang Pauh seat before — indeed, the PKR has held it since 1982 — but was forced out of office in 1998 and imprisoned by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed after being convicted of sodomy and abuse of power. His wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, later held the position, but resigned some weeks ago specifically to make way for him to return to the political stage.
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