Azizah’s a political wife whose ordeal has a familiar ring to it. Like Hillary Clinton, she’s withstood the indignity of the most damaging sexual allegations against her husband, and emerged stronger. This wife and mother has been recruited as a leader for the biggest push for reform in Malaysia’s history. “I wouldn’t think I would be a politician, because my role was the wife, bringing in the tea and looking after the children.” Azizah has become hugely popular. Massive crowds gather at her speeches, and when she hints that she’ll stand in the forthcoming elections they applaud even louder. So is she going to be Prime Minister? No, says her daughter “she is just warming the seat.” Azizah’s political career will be over when Anwar returns. Malaysian society is after all fundamentally patriarchal. Azizah even declines to show us a photo of herself without her headscarf for fear of arousing controversy. But if a jailed Anwar wants revenge over his old boss at the ballot box, it’s Azizah, a reluctant but increasingly popular leader, who’ll have to win the votes.

Produced by ABC Australia