Jailed Malaysian opposition leader’s wife wins his parliament seat

The wife of jailed Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has won his seat in a by-election, officials said on Friday, one of two votes held this week that were seen as a test of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s leadership. Anwar’s family has held the seat in Penang state for decades. His wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, retained it in Thursday’s vote over the candidate from the ruling Barisan Nasional, Suhaimi Sabudin, although with a slightly reduced majority. Anwar held the seat of Permatang Pauh until he was jailed in February for sodomy, a charge he says was a politically motivated attempt to end his career. His family’s request for a royal pardon was rejected last month, necessitating the by-election.

Politics