The newly minted Malaysian prime minister was at the university to receive an honorary doctorate, which was only appropriate for a neighboring national leader of acclaimed international prominence. But it must also have been an emotional homecoming of sorts for Anwar, who as an avid student leader more than half a century ago was no stranger to the UP campus, having visited quite often for intellectual exchanges with scholars and students.
And he soon fired and jailed Anwar on what has come to be universally considered as trumped-up charges. Anwar went in and out of prison for the next two decades, and became Malaysia's most prominent opposition leader. Later, political developments in Malaysia changed so dramatically that Anwar and Dr. Mahathir joined hands once again to defeat the then overbearing ruling party they had both once led, and ushered in a new government led once again by Dr. Mahathir.