In 2014, Anwar's attempt to become Selangor head of government in the 2014 Kajang Move led to a nine-month political crisis, which ended when he was sentenced to another five years in prison after a second sodomy conviction in 2015.

[12] On 2 December 2022, Anwar appointed various members of parliament from Pakatan Harapan, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and UMNO to serve as ministers in the cabinet of the newly formed unity government.

In what the Sydney Morning Herald termed a blatantly political fix-up,[41] Anwar was arrested on 20 September 1998 and detained without trial under the country's controversial Internal Security Act (ISA).

[69][70] On 28 August 2008, Anwar, dressed in a dark blue traditional Malay outfit and black songkok hat, took the oath at the main chamber of Parliament house in Kuala Lumpur, as MP for Permatang Pauh at 10.03 am before Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

[76] Anwar continued to attack Najib on his first day as prime minister, stating he found inconsistencies in the latter's decision to release 13 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees.

In the interim, UMNO had its own party meeting[89][90] to broker Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's step down from power in June 2009, a year earlier than previously promised.

A successful fundraising #Black505 dinner was held in Thean Hou Temple hall on 22 June 2013, hosted by Wangsa Maju MP Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong on behalf of PKR.

This move, however, did not materialise as he was sentenced to five years' prison after Malaysia's Court of Appeal overturned his sodomy acquittal, causing Anwar to lose his qualification to be the state assembly candidate.

[116] The Court of Appeal rushed through a unanimous decision, signed by all three judges, and sentenced Anwar to five years imprisonment, disqualifying him from nomination in the Kajang by-election scheduled on 11 March.

[121][122] In an interview, he justified his reluctance to immediately step into power on the basis that Mahathir appeared committed to the reform agenda, and was doing a good job tackling a "disintegrating" political system.

[126] In late February 2020, the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed following defections by Anwar's deputy, Azmin Ali, and several MPs aligned to him, along with the withdrawal of BERSATU by Muhyiddin Yassin from the coalition.

[131] In September 2020, Anwar attempted to form a new government, claiming that he had amassed a "formidable" majority,[132] and submitted the number of 120 members of parliament to the then-Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Abdullah of Pahang.

[133] However, this move failed and Anwar, speaking at a party congress in July 2022, claimed that he had been forced to back down after refusing to provide assurances to Barisan Nasional and UMNO leaders that he would discontinue their court cases.

[135] In April 2021, a four-minute voice recording of a purported conversation between Anwar and Zahid shortly after an UMNO general assembly was leaked online, where the former praised the latter for their speech seeking a mandate from the party's membership to end its alliance with Perikatan Nasional.

He also appointed President of UMNO Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Parliamentary Whip of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Fadillah Yusof as the Deputy Prime Ministers.

When Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was discharged without amounting to an acquittal on some of the bribery charges against him, Anwar was accused of placing political power ahead of principles,[166] with the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) leaving government and joining the opposition as a result.

[170][169] Anwar has publicly stated that he would be open to the inclusion of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, a major component of the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition, if they accepted his conditions; including ensuring every citizen regardless of religious identity a place in the country.

[173] On 28 January 2024, Anwar appointed pro-govt Bersatu Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz to lead the government committee on rising food prices and the cost of living.

[176] In April 2024, Anwar denied reports by Bloomberg News that the government was considering the opening of a new casino in Forest City, Johor, a residential development under the Belt and Road Initiative.

[195][196] Anwar Ibrahim tweeted on X: "Malaysia mourns the loss of a fighter and defender of the Palestinian people, Al Syahid Yahya Sinwar who was brutally murdered by the barbaric Zionist regime.

During this visit, Anwar emphasised Malaysia's commitment to strengthening educational and cultural ties between the two nations, securing additional scholarships for Malaysian students at Al-Azhar University in fields like medicine, engineering, and technology.

[202] The Malaysian government led by Anwar won a major battle early in 2023 when the Spanish Constitutional Court rejected Sulu claimants' appeal against the annulment of the appointment Gonzalo Stampa as the arbitrator.

[207] Minister Azalina Othman appreciated Anwar for "his steadfast commitment and determination in protecting the sovereignty of Malaysia at all costs, and his undivided support to the Malaysian team fighting these frivolous claims".

[208] These laws reaffirmed the Philippines' maritime territories and rights to natural resources across the South China Sea, including Sabah, drawing strong criticism from Malaysia.

[215] On 11 July 2023, Bersatu information committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin urged Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate Anwar over the ownership of the latter's personal residence in Kajang, Selangor.

[220] Former Penang deputy chief minister Ramasamy Palanisamy said that such an act shows that Anwar has no respect or gratitude towards the Indian community, which has sacrificed a lot for the welfare of the country.

[227] However, Anwar has denied having any involvement in the court's decision and stressed the independence of Malaysia's judiciary[228][229] while mentioning that then attorney-general Idrus Harun insisted on seeking a conditional discharge.

[235][236][237] He has been described as a "liberal reformer, talented technocrat, genuine intellectual and perhaps even a man capable of bringing the spirit of the Arab Spring to one of Asia's largest majority Muslim nations.

[241] During his early political career in the 1960s, Anwar said that he supported affirmative action policies for Malays due to his concern about the dominance of Malaysian Chinese in businesses, but later changed his views.

[244] In May 2010, B'nai B'rith International, a prominent Jewish human rights organisation, argued that Anwar has used his position in Malaysian parliament to spread anti-Semitic propaganda, such as his claim that Israeli spies are "directly involved in the running of the government".