Malaysian PM resigns, made caretaker premier until successor appointed

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian prime minister has resigned but the political turmoil that has roiled the country has a twist in the tale - Mr Muhyiddin Yassin gets to keep his job, at least for now.

After he submitted his resignation to Malaysia's king, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, yesterday, the palace issued a statement saying Mr Muhyiddin will perform the prime minister's duties until his successor is appointed.

The King added that holding general elections in the near future "is not the best option" due to the welfare and security of the people.

Mr Muhyiddin said he resigned along with his Cabinet after losing majority support in Parliament.

As caretaker, he added, he will have no Cabinet, but will perform executive functions and advise the King until a new prime minister is appointed.

When asked if his former Cabinet would be retained as a caretaker Cabinet, Mr Muhyiddin said he would be the only one running the show.

"It is a one-man show," he joked.

"Based on my understanding, I am the caretaker prime minister. My Cabinet has resigned. There is no longer a government like before," he said.

Mr Muhyiddin also noted that he now had limited powers and could perform only basic essential functions of a government.

As for how long he keeps his caretaker prime minister job, some experts have said an announcement could be made in days.

But, despite a weekend of endless meetings and proposals across the political divide, there is still no clear candidate to succeed the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president.

The Straits Times said while it understands that Mr Muhyiddin advised Sultan Abdullah that his Perikatan Nasional (PN) remains the largest bloc in Parliament, with 100 out of the 220 sitting MPs, the Constitution does not provide for a minority government.

VACANT

So Mr Muhyiddin will stay on in a caretaker capacity while the monarch determines who can command the majority of the 22-strong legislature, where two seats are currently vacant.

Mr Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact has 88 MPs, but most lawmakers outside of the coalition are either opposed to his leadership or bound by Umno's resolution earlier this year to not team up with him or the Democratic Action Party, the largest component in PH.

Out of the 120 lawmakers opposed to Mr Muhyiddin's leadership, 15 are in Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's camp and another 17 in various parties largely loyal to former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has tried to convince his PN colleagues to back him for a smooth transition, with sources indicating he will offer his existing role of deputy prime minister to Bersatu.

If he is able to convince Mr Zahid's camp, then its majority will be restored as a government of 115 MPs.

But it appears that Mr Zahid is refusing to endorse a potential challenger for the party leadership, The Straits Time reported.

Asked if there was a possibility that he could be reappointed as prime minister, Mr Muhyiddin replied: "Let's wait and see. At the moment, I have the most numbers but we must always follow the rule of law." - THE STAR, THE STRAITS TIMES

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Timeline

FEB 24, 2020 Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigns as infighting causes the collapse of his coalition. Malaysia's king, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, re-appoints Mr Mahathir as interim leader.

FEB 29 After meeting lawmakers, the King names Mr Muhyiddin the prime minister, assessing that he may have majority support in Parliament.

MARCH 1 Mr Muhyiddin is sworn in.

OCT 23-26 Mr Muhyiddin asks the King to declare a state of emergency to rein in the coronavirus. The King rejects Mr Muhyiddin's request.

JAN 12, 2021 The King declares a state of emergency until Aug 1 over rising Covid-19 infections. Parliament is suspended, allowing Mr Muhyiddin to continue unopposed.

JUNE 16 The King calls for Parliament to reconvene as soon as possible to allow debate of emergency ordinances and a coronavirus recovery plan.

JULY 8 Umno withdraws support and calls on Mr Muhyiddin to resign for mishandling the pandemic.

JULY 26 Mr Muhyiddin calls a special session of Parliament at the King's request. Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan tells Parliament that the government will not ask the King to extend the state of emergency and says emergency ordinances revoked.

JULY 29 In a rare public rebuke, the palace says the revocation of emergency ordinances was done without the king's consent and runs counter to the constitution and the law.

AUG 13 Mr Muhyiddin acknowledges he does not have a majority. He urges opposition lawmakers back him in a confidence vote in exchange for reforms. Opposition parties and Umno reject the offer.

AUG 16 Mr Muhyiddin tenders his resignation to the King who asks him to stay on as interim premier. - REUTERS