Who is Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian leader who helped Trump preside over a 'peace deal'?
51 minutes ago Share Save Kelly Ng Singapore Share Save
Getty Images President Donald Trump is greeted by Malaysian PM Anwar when he arrives in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025
"I was in prison but you almost got there," Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joked to US President Donald Trump as the cameras rolled. It was a dicey joke - one he quickly moved on from given Trump's less-than amused demeanour - but also arguably one only a veteran politician basking in his recent wins would dare make. He had just signed a deal with Trump to lower tariffs on Malaysian exports to the US from 24% to 19%. Although many other details remain unclear, any assurance that levies will not rise further is welcome amid all the uncertainty. But most important of all, Anwar had secured Trump's attendance at a regional summit whose relevance has been repeatedly questioned. The US president was at the meeting of Association of South East Asian Nations, or Asean, in Kuala Lumpur solely to preside over a highly publicised "peace deal" between T
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