Anwar in jail raises unity challenge for Malaysia opposition

Kuala Lumpur

THE imprisonment of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will provide the disparate, multi-ethnic coalition he headed with some momentum to resolve differences even as the longer-term challenge to stay united remains.

Anwar's five-year sentence and a five-year political ban upon release is forcing his three-member Pakatan Rakyat alliance to choose a new leader. The group must pursue an inclusive agenda to stay relevant and challenge the Barisan Nasional coalition that's ruled for almost six decades, according to Clive Kessler, a sociology professor at the University of New South Wales.