Malaysia PM hunt: King urges rival politicians to unite, to name leader who has most support

As the hunt for a new Prime Minister begins, Malaysia’s king on Tuesday urged rival politicians to unite in the battle against coronavirus.

Following the resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday, analysts say the monarch is trying to nudge the country’s political parties toward forming a unity government. 

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As a result of the outbreak, the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has ruled out elections, which means he will likely choose the next premier himself based on who commands the greatest support.

However, no party has majority support in parliament, making it impossible to choose a successor to Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin’s turbulent 17 months in office finally ended with resignation when he lost his parliamentary majority amid mounting public anger over the way his government handled the worst COVID-19 wave in Malaysia.

The long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he and other party leaders met at the palace and the king told them “the country is a facing political and constitutional crisis”.

“So we should unite to fight the coronavirus and help bolster the economy.”

“By the look of it, all the parties seem to have come to a consensus — that is to end ‘old politics’… and focus on the development of the country,” he added.

In addition to some opposition groups supporting Anwar, remnants of Muhyiddin’s collapsed government may work together to put together a coalition government, while others have called for a unity government until the outbreak has been controlled.

To be a premier, an individual must have the support of at least 111 out of 222 lawmakers in the lower house.

In addition to the monarch, the influential deputy king attended the meeting. 

This indicated agreement among Malaysia’s revered Islamic royal families “with regards to the proposal for a unity government”, said Oh Ei Sun, an analyst at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

MPs have also been asked to submit the name of their choice for the prime minister to the palace by Wednesday afternoon, and the drama is expected to take several days to play out.

There has been disarray in Malaysia’s political landscape since the elections in 2018, which saw a scandal-plagued coalition ejected from power after 60 years in power, and replaced by a reformist alliance. 

However, that alliance collapsed in March last year, and Muhyiddin went on to become prime minister without an election. 

It was, nevertheless, an unstable government, with a razor-thin majority in parliament, and under constant scrutiny for its legitimacy.

(With inputs from agencies)