KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - In a roller-coaster political career, Anwar Ibrahim was sacked a decade ago as deputy premier and jailed for six years before returning to the political stage as Malaysian opposition leader.

Here is a chronology of recent political events that have led to his statement Tuesday that he has secured the support of enough government lawmakers to form a new administration.

Sept 1998: Anwar Ibrahim, then deputy to prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, is sacked and slapped with sodomy and corruption charges that he said were politically motivated.

April 1999: Found guilty of corruption and sentenced to six years in jail.

August 2000: Found guilty of sodomy and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Sept 2004: Released after Malaysia's highest court overturns sodomy conviction.

March 2008: Leads a resurgent opposition to stunning victories in general elections, seizing five states and a third of parliamentary seats

-- Soon after he outlines a plan to seize power from the ruling coalition with the help of defecting government lawmakers.

April 2008: Ban on holding public office, relating to his corruption conviction, expires.

June 2008: Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old who was a volunteer at his office, lodges a police report claiming Anwar sodomised him.

July 10: Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi heads off calls to resign by saying he will hand over to his deputy Najib Razak in mid-2010.

July 16: Anwar arrested amid a tussle over fixing a date for police interrogation, and spends night in custody before being released.

July 31: Announces he will contest parliamentary by-election for the Permatang Pauh constituency in his home state of Penang, after his wife resigns the seat to make way for him.

August 7: Anwar is charged with sodomy, an offence that carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment. Says he is still on track to seize power by September 16.

August 26: Wins a landslide by-election victory.

August 28: Sworn in to parliament and declared leader of the opposition.

Sept 5: Abdullah vows to thwart Anwar's plan to seize power.

Sept 8: Government sends dozens of its parliamentarians on a 'study tour' to Taiwan in an apparent bid to prevent them from switching sides.

Sept 10: In a sign of cracks in the ruling coalition, Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin urges Abdullah to consider stepping down before mid-2010.

Sept 12: An opposition politician, a prominent blogger and a journalist are arrested under draconian internal security laws, triggering widespread criticism even from within the cabinet.

Sept 15: Anwar says he he has enough support to topple the government and wants to meet with Abdullah to discuss a handover.

Sept 16: Abdullah says the opposition's claims are 'mere dreams' and rules out resigning.