Sacked deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who lost an appeal today against his conviction and nine-year sentence for sodomy, had an unconventional but meteroric rise in Malaysian politics until his spectacular falling-out with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Born in Penang o­n August 10, 1947, the hospital porter's son graduated from the University of Malaya and first came to public notice as a firebrand Islamic youth leader.

In 1971, he founded the Muslim Youth Movement, which posed a radical challenge to government values.

In 1974, he was detained under the Internal Security Act for leading a demonstration in support of poor rice farmers and spent 20 months in jail.

But Mahathir, who came to power in 1981, spotted Anwar's potential.

The following year he recruited Anwar into the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the lynchpin of the coalition which has ruled since independence from Britain in 1957.

Anwar was named to head the culture, youth and sports ministry in 1983 and the agriculture ministry in 1984 before becoming minister of education in 1986, finance minister in 1991 and deputy premier two years later.

Charismatic leader

Anwar's Islamic links and charismatic style gave him a strong following among the country's Muslim majority.

At the same time his smart suits and free-market credentials helped his image in the foreign press and in international financial circles. In 1998, Newsweek magazine described him as "Asian of the Year."

Mahathir, now 77, publicly acknowledged Anwar as his successor.

But stories of rifts between the two began circulating widely in the late 1990s and in 1998 they were deeply at odds over economic policy as the Asian financial crisis hit Malaysia.

On Sept 1 that year Mahathir imposed sweeping capital controls to combat currency speculators, a move which Anwar strongly opposed. A day later, Mahathir sacked his deputy o­n grounds of immorality.

Anwar refused to go quietly. o­n Sept 20, he led a massive anti-government protest but that evening police broke down the front door of his home and arrested him.

On the same night, a blindfolded and handcuffed Anwar was badly beaten up by the then-police chief. His black eye was depicted in countless opposition posters as a symbol of official abuse.

In April 1999, Anwar was jailed for six years for corruption - abusing his official powers to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct. He was later sentenced to a consecutive nine years in prison for sodomy with an official driver.

Anwar insisted he was framed because he threatened to expose corruption and was seen as a political danger to Mahathir. - AFP