a shining one Enver Ibrahim Last week, he watched with pride as his alma mater’s band filled the air with music at an anniversary event for a power company in Malaysia. The scene where clarinet, saxophone and tuba played in harmony reminded us of the prime minister’s past in a nostalgic way.

Founded in 1905 in the small town of Kuala Kangsar, Malay College is no ordinary institution. This taxpayer-funded but Malays-only boarding school was designed after his example. England‘s exclusive Eton College. It was designed to prepare the sons of Malay aristocrats for future leadership roles. Anwar, who attended between 1960 and 1966, became the second prime minister to graduate from these halls, following in the footsteps of independence hero Tun Abdul Razak.

The university’s alumni list reads like a who’s who of Malaysia’s elite. Six of Malaysia’s 17 kings and Henry III. Omar Ali Saifuddien studied here. BruneiHassanal Bolkiah, father of the current sultan.