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Malaysia faces political tremor amid bid to form new govt Mahathir offers resignation in Malaysian political upheaval
(32 minutes later)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s party is leaving Malaysia’s governing alliance, while 11 lawmakers from an ally party announced Monday they were quitting in a shocking political upheaval. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad tendered his resignation to Malaysia’s king Monday while his political party quit the ruling alliance in a shocking political upheaval less than two years after his election victory.
Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, president of the Bersatu party, said Bersatu decided at its emergency meeting Sunday to quit the four-member alliance that won the historic May 2018 election. It ousted the coalition that ruled the country since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957. The prime minister’s office said in a brief statement that Mahathir submitted his resignation to the palace at 1 p.m. but gave no further details.
The party’s departure followed several weekend political maneuvers that sparked expectation Mahathir’s party would team with his former foes to form a new government and thwart his named successor Anwar Ibrahim from taking power. The stunning turn of events come amid plans by Mahathir supporters to team with opposition parties to form a new government and thwart the transition of power to his named successor Anwar Ibrahim, replaying their decades-old feud.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story is below: Minutes before his resignation was offered, Mahathir’s Bersatu party announced it would leave the alliance and support Mahathir as the premier. Eleven other lawmakers, including several Cabinet ministers, also announced they are quitting Anwar’s party.
Malaysia’s alliance government under 94-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is threatening to unravel less than two years after a historic election victory ousting the coalition that had ruled the country since independence. With some 50 lawmakers from Bersatu and Anwar’s party leaving the ruling alliance, the maneuvers leave doubt whether Anwar has enough support to take power.
Startling political maneuvers have sparked expectation that Mahathir will pull his Bersatu party out of the four-member ruling alliance and team with his former foes to form a new government in a major political upheaval that could further polarize the multiracial nation. Mahathir and Anwar were Malaysia’s top two leaders in Mahathir’s first stint as premier but fell out politically before reuniting in the political pact that ousted a corruption-tainted government in the May 2018 election. Their relationship has been testy, with Mahathir refusing to set a date to relinquish power despite a preelection agreement to hand over power.
The maneuvers would keep Mahathir in power and thwart his named successor Anwar Ibrahim from taking power, replaying their decades-old feud. They were Malaysia’s top two leaders in Mahathir’s first stint as premier but fell out politically before reuniting in the political pact that ousted a corruption-tainted government in the May 2018 election. Anwar said earlier Monday that he was satisfied the government’s reform agenda will continue. He refused to say more.
Their relationship has been testy, with Mahathir refusing to set a date to relinquish power despite a preelection agreement to hand over power to Anwar. Ironically, the maneuvers could restore to power the Malay party of disgraced former leader Najib Razak, who with several of his party leaders are standing trial for corruption. It could also propel to national power a fundamentalist Islamic party that rules two states and champions Islamic laws. The two Malay parties still have strong support from ethnic Malays, who account for 60 percent of Malysia’s 32 million people.
Anwar confirmed late Sunday there were attempts by some Bersatu members and “traitors” from his party to form a new government. But he noted that the situation was still fluid. Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is currently the country’s deputy prime minister, were due to meet the king on Monday. Wan Azizah tweeted that “men can plan but Allah decides,” urging supporters to believe God will side with those who are patient.
His party deputy president and Economics Minister Azmin Ali, along with a number of lawmakers including Bersatu President and Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, huddled with opposition leaders Sunday at a hotel in a Kuala Lumpur suburb.
Ironically, the maneuvers would restore to power the Malay party of disgraced former leader Najib Razak, who with several of his party leaders are standing trial for corruption. It would also propel to national power a fundamentalist Islamic party that rules two states and champions Islamic laws. The two Malay parties still have strong support from ethnic Malays, who account for 60 percent of Malysia’s 32 million people.
Azmin, Muhyiddin, along with leaders from Najib’s party, the Islamist party and two other parties from Borneo island, reportedly met Sunday with Malaysia’s king to seek his backing. Rumors of an announcement on the new government didn’t pan out Sunday night but Anwar said it could materialize Monday.
At a prayer meeting at his house, Anwar told supporters he was “shocked” with the developments that he said was a “betrayal” of the agreement in place on the power transition. But he was calm and called it a “small trial,” saying he has overcome harder times. He even joked that while he may not be Malaysia’s eighth prime minister, he could be the ninth.
Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is currently the country’s deputy prime minister, are due to meet the king later Monday. Wan Azizah tweeted that “men can plan but Allah decides,” urging supporters to believe God will side with those who are patient.
Mahathir has remained silent as many Malaysians reacted with dismay and shock on social media, saying moves to form a “backdoor” government would be unethical and that a new election should be called if the ruling alliance collapses.
Analysts said King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah could decide which faction has the majority support in Parliament or call a snap election. They warned that such a new government could give rise to Malay Islamic supremacy that will derail Malaysia’s multiethnic society.Analysts said King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah could decide which faction has the majority support in Parliament or call a snap election. They warned that such a new government could give rise to Malay Islamic supremacy that will derail Malaysia’s multiethnic society.
“Mahathir’s top political priority is to stave off Anwar’s increasingly vigorous claim on the premiership. So he had to work with otherwise unsavory opposition parties to form a working parliamentary majority to counter and warn off Anwar,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. “If the new government goes through, Malaysia is heading toward a a very regressive stage whereby racial supremacy and religious extremism would become the rule of the day.”“Mahathir’s top political priority is to stave off Anwar’s increasingly vigorous claim on the premiership. So he had to work with otherwise unsavory opposition parties to form a working parliamentary majority to counter and warn off Anwar,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. “If the new government goes through, Malaysia is heading toward a a very regressive stage whereby racial supremacy and religious extremism would become the rule of the day.”
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.