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Mahathir offers resignation in Malaysian political upheaval Malaysian king accepts Mahathir’s resignation amid upheaval
(about 5 hours later)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad tendered his resignation to Malaysia’s king on Monday while his political party quit the ruling alliance, in a shocking political upheaval less than two years after his election victory. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s king on Monday accepted Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s shocking resignation but reappointed him as interim leader following the collapse of the ruling alliance in a major political upheaval less than two years after its historic election victory.
The prime minister’s office said in a brief statement that Mahathir, 94, submitted his resignation to the palace at 1 p.m. but gave no further details. Mahathir also quit as chairman of his ruling Bersatu party. The stunning turn of events come amid plans by Mahathir’s supporters in his Bersatu party to team up with opposition parties to form a new government and thwart the transition of power to his named successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
The stunning turn of events come amid plans by Mahathir’s supporters to team with opposition parties to form a new government and thwart the transition of power to his named successor, Anwar Ibrahim. Minutes before Mahathir tendered his resignation to the palace, Bersatu said it would leave the four-party Alliance of Hope and support Mahathir as prime minister. Eleven other lawmakers, including several Cabinet ministers, announced they were quitting Anwar’s party to form an independent bloc.
Minutes before his resignation was offered, Bersatu said it would leave the four-party Alliance of Hope and support Mahathir as the prime minister. Eleven other lawmakers, including several Cabinet ministers, also announced they are quitting Anwar’s party to form an independent bloc. Bersatu later said Mahathir had also quit as party chairman. The withdrawal of more than three dozen lawmakers means the ruling alliance has lost its majority in Parliament, throwing the country into an uncertain future and sparking fears of more turmoil over how the political drama will play out.
The withdrawal of more than three dozen lawmakers means the ruling alliance has lost its majority in Parliament, throwing the country into an uncertain future and sparking fears of more turmoil over how the political drama will play out. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who met leaders from the new faction on Sunday and both Anwar and Mahathir on Monday, accepted Mahathir’s resignation, the chief secretary to the government, Mohamad Zuki Ali, said in a statement.
Opinions are divided on whether Mahathir is quitting for good or making a tactical move to buy time to cobble together a new majority to form a government. Mohamad Zuki said the king also decided Mahathir should continue as interim leader until a new prime minister is chosen and a new Cabinet formed.
King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who met Bersatuand several other leaderson Sunday, met with Anwar on Monday afternoon and has summoned Mahathir to the palace. Analysts said the king could decide on which faction has the support or dissolve Parliament for snap elections. The king’s decision helped bring some political stability to the country after the series of dizzying events unraveled Sunday with maneuvers aimed at keeping Mahathir in power and blocking Anwar from the top job. Horse trading is expected as both factions scramble to build support to take power.
The political drama unraveled Sunday with maneuvers aimed at keeping Mahathir in power and thwarting Anwar, replaying their decades-old feud. Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy during Mahathir’s first stint as prime minister but fell out politically before reuniting in the political pact that ousted a corruption-tainted government in the May 2018 election. Mahathir has refused to set a date to relinquish power despite a pre-election agreement to hand over power to Anwar. Anwar said Monday after meeting with Mahathir and with other alliance leaders that Mahathir was not involved in the conspiracy and had quit because he didn’t want to be associated with the former corrupt regime that he worked hard to oust in the 2018 polls.
Anwar confirmed late Sunday that there were attempts by some Bersatu members and “traitors” from his party to form a new government in a “betrayal” of their political pact. He 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. “His name was used, by those within my party and outside,” Anwar told reporters. Mahathir “reiterated to me what he had said earlier, that he played no part in it and he made it very clear, that in no way will he ever work with those associated with the past regime.”
Anwar and several alliance leaders met Mahathir at the prime minister’s residence on Monday. Anwar later told reporters that he was satisfied with the meeting, at which Mahathir insisted that the reform agenda must continue and indicated he wouldn’t bow down to those attempting to grab power. Anwar said he pleaded with Mahathir to stay on to jointly defeat the conspirators but he refused.
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 Malaysia’s 32 million people. Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy during Mahathir’s first stint as prime minister but they fell out politically. The pair reunited in a political pact in the May 2018 election, which ousted a ruling coalition that has governed the country since independence from Britain in 1957. Tension has erupted as Mahathir refused to set a date to relinquish power despite a preelection agreement to hand over power to Anwar.
Mahathir has remained silent so far. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, who heads another party in Anwar’s alliance, said Mahathir had quit as prime minister and Bersatu chairman to object “this nefarious attempt to subvert and undermine the people’s mandate” to their alliance. The political plot by the defectors would include an alliance with the Malay party of disgraced former leader Najib Razak, who with several of his party leaders are standing trial on corruption charges. It would also recruit 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% of Malaysia’s 32 million people.
Lim, who was among those who met Mahathir with Anwar, said in a statement that Mahathir had clearly stated that he cannot work with Najib’s Malay party, which he had worked so hard to oust in the 2018 polls. Lim said his party will propose at an alliance emergency meeting Monday night that Mahathir continue as prime minister to deliver the reformist agenda. Mahathir has remained silent, but many Malaysians reacted with dismay and shock, saying moves to form a “backdoor” government would be unethical and that a new election should be called.
Many Malaysians have 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. Electoral watchdog group Bersih, which has organized several protest rallies in the past, said it would organize a mass rally if an undemocratic government is formed. Bersih and about three dozen civil society groups called for new elections to be held if the governing alliance disintegrates.
Analysts warned that such a new government could give rise to Malay Islamic supremacy that would derail Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society. Analysts said a new “backdoor” government could give rise to Malay Islamic supremacy that would derail Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society.
“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,” 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 very regressive stage whereby racial supremacy and religious extremism would become the rule of the day,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
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.