HISTORY has come full circle in Malaysia. Twenty years ago, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim were partners running the nation before the former sacked his protégé, who was later jailed.

Now, both are back together and in government, although without the unfettered power they shared and used in the 1990s. This time, they’re sharing power with life-long opposition lawmakers who are now in the government.

But fixing this breach in history will take some time, despite Dr Mahathir announcing barely a day after returning to power as the country’s seventh prime minister that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had agreed to a full pardon for Anwar.

This would allow Anwar to be released immediately, stand for a by-election and enter public office once again – a promise that Dr Mahathir had made to the opposition coalition.

It was probably this promise which unleashed the wave which saw Pakatan Harapan delivering a crushing defeat to Barisan Nasional at the polls.

However, it was not just these two who had a dramatic turn of fortunes.

At yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony for the prime minister at Istana Negara, Mohamad Sabu and Lim Guan Eng were seated behind the prime minister, a fact not lost on political commentators.

These two were among those detained under the Internal Security Act during Dr Mahathir’s first administration.

No one saw this coming as 20 years ago, they were politicians who were resigned to just being effective opposition parliamentarians.  

Now, 20 years later, Mat Sabu and Lim will probably be in Dr Mahathir’s new cabinet. A circle of Malaysian history is now complete. – May 11, 2018.