Malaysia PM Anwar wins confidence vote

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim won a confidence vote in parliament yesterday, cementing his mandate a month after an inconclusive election result forced him to ally with the graft-tainted party of his former political rivals.

The affirmation of support was done via voice vote, with those in favor of Anwar's leadership drowning out those opposed, said Johari Abdul, speaker of the lower house of parliament. Anwar, 75, claimed to have the support of 148 members of the 222-seat legislature, giving him a two-thirds majority.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE