Anwar Ibrahim signs for Negri Sembilan — no, not the PM
No, not Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but a 26-year-old right back who just happens to share his name with Malaysia's most famous politician.
Anwar (the footballer) will don Negri colours for the 2025-2026 M-League season, with the club's announcement quickly going viral and attracting more than 1,500 comments on Facebook.
This isn't the first time the Kelantan-born defender has made headlines.
In 2023, he caused quite the stir during a KL City match, unintentionally surprising then-Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail when his name was announced as a second-half substitute.
It was during the Federal Territories Minister's Cup at the KLFA Stadium, and for a brief moment, Wan Azizah — in the stands — thought her husband was being called into action.
KL City went on to beat Perak 3-0, and after the match, with Wan Azizah on medal duty, she made a point to meet and snap a photo with the young namesake.
"Akram Mahinan went on stage first and told her my name," recalled Anwar.
"She then said she wanted to take a picture with me. I was touched."
Anwar's best career moment was winning the Malaysia Cup in 2021 with KL City.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
PM discusses high-impact strategic partnerships with 40 French captains of industry
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today chaired a roundtable meeting with 40 captains of industry from France with operations in Malaysia to discuss strategic investment and partnership opportunities in high-impact sectors at the global level. He said Malaysia offers a strategic position as a gateway into the Asean market, supported by political stability as well as investor-friendly policies and a dynamic industrial ecosystem. "I emphasised that Malaysia is now a major hub in the clean energy, semiconductor, and electrical and electronic sectors, and continues to play an important role in the oil and gas industry. "This potential has also been strengthened with the implementation of investment faciliation initiatives by government agencies," he posted on his personal X account, @anwaribrahim, after the meeting that was held in Paris on Friday. Anwar is leading a Malaysian delegation to the city in conjunction with a two-day official visit to France. French companies that participated in the roundtable session included Air Liquide, L'Oréal, Axens, Schneider Electric and Thales which have been well established in Malaysia and continue to show their strong commitment. Anwar said that at the same time, the government is also focusing on empowering small and medium enterprises so they can participate in the global supply chain and become strategic partners to foreign investors, including through technology transfer, training and talent development. "I also encouraged French companies to explore Special Economic Zones and halal parks in Malaysia as well as to establish collaborations in renewable energy, CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage), the digital economy, defence and aerospace in line with the country's inclusive and sustainable economic reformation agenda," he added. France has remained one of Malaysia's top five trading partners among European Union members. In 2024, the bilateral trade between the two nations reached RM15.95 billion (US$3.63 billion), and for the January-May 2025 period, a total of RM6.26 billion (US$1.49 billion) was recorded. – Bernama
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Anwar: Proposed carbon tax not hindrance for investors
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim - Photo: Bernama PARIS: As the proposed carbon tax is being finalised, the government today gave an assurance that its implementation will not create a problem for investors. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he knew that the trend towards decarbonisation is strong and compelling. "But I think we have to be very realistic. The proposed carbon tax should not be seen as too problematic at the expense of investing companies,' he said during a question and answer session at the Roundtable Meeting with Captains of Industry in Paris, the capital of France on Friday. Also present were Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. Anwar, who is here on a two-day official visit, said the implementation has to be done cautiously and gradually. "We are finalising that in the next few months actually,' he said, adding that they are looking at sectors that are the biggest carbon emitters first. Despite the palm oil industry being an important sector for Malaysia, Anwar said any new plantations on peat soil have been stopped due to its high carbon emissions. The government is planning to introduce the carbon tax in 2026, specifically targeting the iron, steel and energy industries. It is part of the government's broader strategy to promote the use of low-carbon technologies and meet emission reduction goals. Industry leaders who attended the session with the Prime Minister praised the government and the country for providing a good investment climate in Malaysia. On tourism, Anwar said the number of tourists from France visiting Malaysia has increased tremendously. "We have direct flights from Paris now. You can swim the whole year due to our favourable climate,' he quipped, citing the newly introduced Kuala Lumpur-Paris route by Malaysia Airlines. Anwar also assured French companies considering investments in Malaysia or the ASEAN region that both represent some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic economies in the world. - Bernama
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar meets French Muslim community to strengthen Islamic cooperation
PARIS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held an engagement session with the Muslim community in France, led by the Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Chems-eddine Mohamed Hafiz. The meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Malaysia and Islamic institutions in France, particularly in the fields of education, the halal industry, interfaith dialogue, and the promotion of universal values such as peace, tolerance and justice. As a gesture of goodwill, Anwar presented a special edition of the Quran and 10 additional copies with French translation. Following the meeting, he and the Malaysian delegation, currently on an official visit to France, also performed Friday prayers with the local Muslim community.
