TIMELINE: Twists and turns in Malaysia's political drama
(Reuters) - Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim has been freed on police bail, his lawyers said on Thursday, but they added he could still be charged for sodomy later.
Here is a timeline showing recent political turmoil.
* March 8, 2008: Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's National Front coalition fails to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament in an election upset. It loses five of the 13 states to the opposition in its worst election performance since independence from Britain more than 50 years ago.
* April 1: More than 500 members of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the dominant party in the Front, demand that Abdullah resign over the election results. They cheer as former premier Mahathir Mohamad and his son, UMNO lawmaker Mukhriz Mahathir, call for challengers to save the party. Abdullah dismisses the talk.
* April 14: Former UNMO deputy leader Anwar Ibrahim is eligible to run for political office again following the expiry of a five-year ban on holding political office stemming from his corruption conviction.
* May 16: Government orders chief prosecutor to investigate six people, including Mahathir and two top judges, for possible criminal offences relating to a 2001 judicial scandal after a 186-page official report on the matter is released.
* May 19: Mahathir, who ruled for 22 years (1981-2003) before picking Abdullah as his successor, quits UMNO in a shock move, prompting fears he could split the party.
* June 4: Malaysia raises petrol and diesel prices by 41 percent and 63 percent to rein in a ballooning subsidy bill. The move sparks widespread anger and further stokes inflation.
* June 13: Abdullah says he has agreed succession plan with his deputy Najib Razak over leadership change. Two days later he says he will run for party presidency in year-end elections, to calm speculation about any imminent handover.
* June 18: Small Malaysian party says it is introducing no-confidence motion against Abdullah, but it falls through because it did not give enough notice in parliament.
* June 23: Abdullah wins parliament backing for fuel price increase.
* June 26: The government shelves some large building projects, and announces plans to spend $9 billion more to boost rice production and ease poverty.
* June 29-30: Accused of sodomy, main opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim seeks refuge in Turkish embassy in almost a repeat of a 1998 scandal which led to the former deputy premier being jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption.
* July 10: Abdullah says he will hand over the presidency of his UMNO party to his deputy in June 2010. * July 16: Anwar arrested on a sodomy complaint lodged by former aide.
* July 17: Anwar freed on police bail. His lawyers say he could still be charged for sodomy later.
Sources: Reuters
(Writing by Gillian Murdoch, Beijing Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
