KUALA LUMPUR -- After a period in a political vacuum following the Nov. 19 general election, Malaysia's parliament finally convened Monday under the new prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, a reformist icon whose political career has taken dramatic twists and turns over two decades.
Anwar quickly cleared the first key hurdle for his government, winning a confidence motion on the first day of the two-day legislative session. The motion was passed by a voice vote.