“President Trump and I share a lot in common,” he said, as ears craned towards the lectern for the punchline. One of the overlapping experiences was “that I was in prison”, Anwar added, “and you almost got there”.
The joke landed well, drawing laughter in the room, including from Trump, who appeared to find humour in the reference to his unconditional discharge by a US court after being found guilty of falsifying business records, allowing him to avoid jail time.
Anwar was jailed for a total of 11 years, for convictions he says were politically motivated.
It was part of a whirlwind day trip by Trump, characterised by back-slapping and jocular asides, in a visit widely seen as a resounding diplomatic success for Anwar, who danced, joked and signed a trade deal with the mercurial American leader.
