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Malaysia's PM Mahathir Mohamad resigns amid political turmoil Malaysia PM Mahathir resigns but is asked to stay as interim leader
(about 5 hours later)
The 94-year-old quits after Anwar Ibrahim accused his party of betraying a promise to transfer power Moves prompt collapse of ruling alliance and confusion over country’s leadership
Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has resigned amid a day of political drama, prompting the collapse of the ruling alliance and uncertainty over the future leadership of the country. Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, resigned on Monday but was then asked to stay on as interim PM in a day of political drama and confusion.
His resignation, delivered to the king on Monday afternoon, follows accusations that the 94-year-old leader betrayed a promise to hand over power to the country’s would-be prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar was promised that he would succeed Mahathir when the rivals partnered in an unlikely alliance that won power less than two years ago. The king accepted Mahathir’s resignation before appointing him as interim prime minister that evening.
The situation remains fluid, and it is unclear if Mahathir intends to stand down or hopes to form a new government. Malaysians could also be asked to go to the polls if the king decides to dissolve parliament for snap elections. The moves prompted the collapse of the ruling alliance and uncertainty over the future leadership of the country.
It appears unlikely that Anwar will be in a position to form a government. On Monday afternoon, Mahathir’s Bersatu party announced it would leave the ruling alliance and support him as leader. Shortly afterwards, in another surprising announcement, Bersatu said it had also received a letter from Mahathir resigning as party chairman. Eleven other lawmakers, including several cabinet ministers, announced they would quit Anwar’s party. The crisis began after Mahathir’s supporters apparently attempted to form a new coalition, preventing the appointment of his agreed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
Bridget Welsh, honorary research fellow with the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute, said the ruling alliance, Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), no longer had the numbers to form a government. “The only way that it can form a new government is if it gets new allies. Those new allies at this point seem to be with Mahathir,” Welsh said. Mahathir had promised Anwar he would succeed him as prime minister when the fierce rivals partnered in an unlikely alliance that won power less than two years ago.
Mahathir’s resignation follows reports that politicians from the ruling coalition held talks on Sunday at a hotel near Kuala Lumpur about a possible new alliance with members of the ousted former ruling party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno). Anwar was previously jailed over sodomy allegations under Mahathir’s rule, charges widely criticised as politically motivated. On Monday, he said the prime minister had told him “he played no part” in attempts to form a new government.
Anwar had accused Mahathir ’s party and “traitors” in his own camp of plotting a change in the ruling coalition that would exclude him from taking power. Some speculate that Mahathir was behind the drive to form a new coalition, and that he may have resigned in an attempt to reinstate himself in a more powerful position. Others suggest he is likely to have been aware of the discussions being held by those in his party.
“We know there are attempts to bring down PH and form a new government,” Anwar said, referring to the Pakatan Harapan coalition that he helped form under Mahathir. Regardless of how involved Mahathir was with his supporters’ activities, he appeared to have reaped huge gains from the episode, said Bridget Welsh, an honorary research fellow at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute. “Right now he has the most power he’s had since May 2018, because he is no longer as dependent on the other parties,” she said.
Anwar had said of the alleged plotters: “It involves our former friends in Bersatu and a small faction of traitors from PKR.” Anwar’s PKR party is the biggest constituent of the current alliance, but is beset by internal divisions. Two possible outcomes are that he could form a new government with those who have called for him to stay with the ruling alliance, Pakatan Harapan.
Mahathir said in recent months that he needed more time for a planned transition, for which he has never set a date. Alternatively, he could follow his traditional supporters, who have abandoned the alliance and are in talks with Malaysia’s Islamic party, PAS, and with the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the party he ousted in 2018, which is mired by corruption charges.
Forming a new coalition could allow Mahathir to serve out a full term instead of handing over to Anwar as promised. Mahathir may also be giving way to somebody else, Welsh said. It is unclear whether Mahathir – who has long refused to announce a date for Anwar to take over as prime minister – intends to stand down as prime minister. Welsh said it was likely he would continue for longer than the short window in which he must form a government.
“That is something that is probably being negotiated. There will be people who will want him to have a clear date, but he has a lot of influence,” she said. “He has been able to command the loyalty of every single political party in the manner of three days.”
Anwar served as deputy prime minister and finance minister during Mahathir’s first 22-year stint in office under Umno, but was sacked in 1998 after falling out over how to defend the economy against the Asian financial crisis. Anwar was jailed twice on sodomy charges that he said were politically motivated. A snap election could be called, and those remaining within Pakatan Harapan, which has lost four of five recent byelections, may be concerned about their prospects if a Malaysians are asked to go to the polls.
He was released on a royal pardon after the 2018 election. He is a member of parliament but does not hold a ministerial post. His wife is the country’s deputy prime minister. Welsh said the political games played out on Monday were unlikely to impress the public. There was also concern about what a new government might mean for minorities.
Prof James Chin, the director of the Asia Institute Tasmania at the University of Tasmania, said: “The possible outcome is that you have a much stronger Malay-centric government with a much more Islamic outlook. This is very bad news for non-Malays – the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaysia make up more than 30% of the population.”
As rival politicians rushed to meetings to forge deals and consolidate their numbers, the country’s stock markets plunged. The political turmoil comes at a time when Malaysia’s economy already faces the threat of coronavirus, and as trials relating to the world’s largest kleptocracy case, the 1MDB saga, continue.
Mahathir’s supporters reportedly held talks with Umno on Sunday at a hotel near Kuala Lumpur about a possible new alliance. On Monday, his Bersatu party announced it would leave the ruling alliance and support him as leader.
Shortly afterwards, in another surprising announcement, Bersatu said it had also received a letter from Mahathir resigning as party chairman. Eleven other lawmakers, including several cabinet ministers, announced they would quit Anwar’s party.
Anwar said on Monday that Mahathir had spoken to him and been “very clear that in no way will he ever work with those associated with the past regime”, referring to those implicated.
Anwar also accused Mahathir ’s party and “traitors” in his own camp of plotting a change in the ruling coalition that would exclude him from taking power.
He served as deputy prime minister and finance minister during Mahathir’s first 22-year stint in office under Umno, but was sacked in 1998 after they clashed over economic policy during the Asian financial crisis.
Anwar was jailed twice on sodomy charges that were widely viewed as politically motivated. He was released on a royal pardon after the 2018 election.