Once an iconic figure among the nation’s youth, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim is now facing ever-increasing calls for him to bow out since November 2021, following the party’s dismal performance in the Malacca state election.

It became even clearer, in the state election that followed, that the party - which won a singular seat in Johor - had found itself entrenched in its wilderness years.

While he is widely seen by his party followers and many general observers as a victim of political persecution, the fear is that...