Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim is married to Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Together they have six children: son Mohd Ehsan and daughters Nurul Izzah, Nurul Nuha, Nurul Liham, Nurul Iman and Nurul Hana. Both wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah are politicians.

Ibrahim is infamous for making frank statements about Israel, claiming that an Israeli public relations firm that the Malaysian government uses is directly linked to the deaths of Palestinians.

Many organizations have made substantive allegations that this political leader is anti-Semitical in some of his views. Though he supports the liberalization of Malaysia's bans on homosexual acts but is firmly opposed to the legalization of gay marriage

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was born on April 20, 1947 in Cherok Tok Kun, Bukit Mertajam, in the Penang region of the Malayan Union. His father was Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, who worked as a porter in a hospital. His mother, Che Yan, was a full-time mother. Later, both of his parents became politicians, his father retiring as a cabinet minister.

Initially, Anwar traveled to Sekolah Melayu Cherok To'Kun for his primary school but then later transferred to Sekolah Rendah Stowell, and finished his high school education at ‘Bukit Mertajam’ in Penang.

In 1968, Ibrahim enrolled at the ‘University of Malaya’ in Kuala Lumpur. He immediately began to assume the mantle of leadership, quickly becoming elected president of the ‘National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students’. He became quickly known for his fervent pro-Islamic views.

The young leader then shouldered on further responsibility, becoming elected the president of the University of Malaya's ‘Malay Language Society’. The next year he then became a co-founder of the ‘Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia’ while also serving as the president of the ‘Malaysian Youth Council’.

In 1974, he was arrested for participating in a student protest against rural poverty. Owing to his country's draconian security laws, he spent nearly two years in jail without a trial.

From 1975-82, he was chosen to represent the entire Asia Pacific region at the ‘World Assembly of Muslim Youth’.

In 1991, Mahathir bin Mohamed rose to lead the ‘United Malays National Organization’ (UMNO). After general elections, he became the Prime Minister.

Anwar Ibrahim was the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from December 1, 1993 to September 2, 1998. This political leader’s tenure is rife with controversies but his economic policies aimed at bringing social equality have received world-wide appreciation.