Why does the West back the wrong Asian leaders?

The charges might seem unremarkable in an illiberal democracy like Malaysia’s, except for one thing. The man whom the king did ask to form a government in 2022 was Anwar Ibrahim, himself twice jailed on false charges of sodomy when leader of the opposition. Back then, Mr Anwar had been a favourite of Western reporters and officials, heralded as a man who could liberalise Malaysian politics if only the prime minister would unlock his cell. But after taking power at the head of a coalition government in November 2022, Mr Anwar has emerged as a very different kind of leader.