COMMENT | Everything that has gone wrong with the political career of Anwar Ibrahim, the 10th prime minister of Malaysia, who is two years into his five-year tenure from Nov 24, 2022, began with an M.

No. One does not have to refer to Dr Mahathir Mohamad - a double “M” - to explain how things once went horribly wrong with his political life, when the former prime minister put him through various trials and tribulations. Let’s begin from the start.

In secondary school, Anwar excelled in the Malay College of Kuala Kangsar (MCKK). An institution that began with an M.

Now, had Anwar studied in Penang Free School, for instance, no matter how much of a rabble-rouser he was to become in Universiti Malaya in the early 1970s, he would not have been seen by his critics as such but a promising leader instead.

Penang Free School would have suited Anwar like a glove, as compared to the Malacca High School or the La Salle School in Kuala Lumpur.