A member of the Golkar political party, he served in a number of positions during President Suharto's New Order regime.

[1] Born in Padang, in what was then the West Sumatra Residency, he graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1959, and attended Syracuse University that same year.

Two years later, Azwar was appointed coordinating minister for people's welfare, before eventually leaving government in 1998.

Azwar Anas died of respiratory illness in the CICU of Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital, Central Jakarta, on March 5 2023, at 11.42 WIB at the age of 89 years after undergoing treatment for two months.

[2] His body was buried with a military ceremony the next day at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery led by Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono.