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Malaysian king rejects Mahathir’s call as turmoil deepens Malaysia’s Mahathir suffers blow as supporters abandon him
(about 2 hours later)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s king on Friday said he will let party leaders nominate prime ministerial candidates, rejecting interim leader Mahathir Mohamad’s call for a vote by Parliament to chose a new leader and deepening the country’s political turmoil following the collapse of the ruling coalition. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s king on Friday said he will let party leaders nominate prime ministerial candidates, shifting the battle for power after opposition parties switched their allegiance from interim leader Mahathir Mohamad to a seasoned politician from his party.
Mahathir, 94, who is seeking to return as prime minister for a third time, also suffered another blow after his Bersatu party switched allegiance and said it has decided to nominate its president as prime minister. Mahathir, 94, who is seeking to return as prime minister for a third time after his ruling alliance collapsed this week, suffered double blows after the king rejected his call for a vote in Parliament to elect a new leader and his supporters threw their support behind the president of his Bersatu party, Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mahathir on Thursday said the king would let the lower house of Parliament vote next Monday to elect a new prime minister and that snap elections would be called if there were an impasse. But the house speaker on Friday rejected Mahathir’s bid to hold a vote, saying it didn’t follow proper procedures and preempted an official decree from the king. Muhyiddin, 72, is a long-time politician who served under the previous ruling coalition but quit to help Mahathir form Bersatu in 2016 amid anger over a massive graft scandal involving a state investment fund.
The palace later broke its silence, saying in a statement that the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had taken note of the house speaker’s decision. It confirmed that the king had been unable to find a candidate with majority support to form a government after interviewing all 222 lawmakers, but said he would “continue to seek a solution in line with the federal constitution.” Muhyiddin led Bersatu to ditch the alliance Monday in a bid to form a new government with several opposition parties without Mahathir’s designated successor, Anwar Ibrahim, breaking apart the ruling alliance less than two years after it defeated a corruption-tainted coalition that had led the country for 61 years.
The palace will now reach out to leaders of political parties to let them nominate candidates for the top job, it said. But the plan flopped after Mahathir quit in protest of the plan to work with the United Malays National Organization, the party of disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on trial on corruption charges. UMNO leads the former ruling coalition ousted by Mahathir in the historic May 2018 polls.
A failed bid by Mahathir’s supporters to form a new government without his designated successor, Anwar Ibrahim, and Mahathir’s subsequent shock resignation on Monday broke apart the ruling alliance less than two years after it defeated a corruption-tainted coalition that had led the country for 61 years. Many Malaysians have protested the formation of a “backdoor” government. But that plan could now be formalized if Muhyiddin secures majority support from lawmakers.
His Bersatu party ditched the alliance in a bid to form a new government with several opposition parties including the United Malays National Organization, the party of disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on trial on corruption charges. But it flopped after Mahathir quit in protest of working with UMNO. The astonishing twist comes after the palace confirmed in a statement that the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had been unable to find a candidate with majority support to form a government after interviewing all 222 lawmakers.
Mahathir is seeking to form a nonpartisan government if chosen as prime minister. Anwar is also vying to become leader, reviving their two decades-old political feud. The palace refused to side with Mahathir, who said Thursday the king would let the lower house of Parliament vote next Monday to elect a new prime minister and that snap elections would be called if there were an impasse.
Anwar’s alliance said it believes he had the highest number of supporters during the king’s interviews with lawmakers and should be given a chance to prove to the king that he can obtain a majority. The palace said the king took note of a decision by the house speaker earlier Friday to reject the Parliament vote, and that he would “continue to seek a solution in line with the federal constitution.” The palace will now reach out to leaders of political parties to let them nominate candidates for the top job, it said.
But a third candidate has emerged in the fray. Bersatu said in a statement Friday that 36 lawmakers, including nearly a dozen who defected from Anwar’s party, have decided to support party President Muhyiddin Yassin instead of Mahathir as prime minister.
The move could potentially receive support from UMNO and a fundamentalist Islamic party that jointly control a quarter of the parliamentary seats and reject Mahathir’s unity government plan. Muhyiddin is seen by them as a more acceptable candidate because he is willing to work with UMNO.
Anwar’s camp is currently the biggest bloc, with control of 41% of the seats, 20 short of a simple majority,
The palace’s announcement came after a meeting of the Conference of Rulers, comprising nine ethnic Malay state rulers. Mahathir has a rocky relationship with the royals after stripping them of their power to veto legislation and removing their legal immunity during his first period as prime minister, which lasted 22 years until 2003.The palace’s announcement came after a meeting of the Conference of Rulers, comprising nine ethnic Malay state rulers. Mahathir has a rocky relationship with the royals after stripping them of their power to veto legislation and removing their legal immunity during his first period as prime minister, which lasted 22 years until 2003.
“Mahathir has opened his political fight not only with UMNO and the parties led by Anwar but now the royalty. His power is weakening through this alienation, as this is also affecting his public support which is low,” said Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia. Shortly after the king’s decree, Bersatu said 36 lawmakers, including nearly a dozen who defected from Anwar’s party, have decided to support Muhyiddin, instead of Mahathir, as prime minister.
UMNO and a fundamentalist Islamic party with strong rural support — which jointly control a quarter of the parliamentary seats — also said they will drop their call for new elections and support Muhyiddin’s bid. Muhyiddin is seen by them as a more acceptable candidate because he is willing to work with UMNO.
Along with several smaller parties, Muhyiddin has now secured support from 96 lawmakers, more than the 92 lawmakers backing Anwar in his alliance. They need more than 112 votes to have a majority. Much will depend on a party in Sarawak state on Borneo island that holds 18 seats. It reportedly said it will announce whom it will support on Sunday, but Borneo parties usually back the government of the day.
Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia, said Anwar’s alliance will likely lose the game and emerge as a strong opposition. “Anwar has strengthened his support through this second betrayal,” she added.
Once a high-flying member in the ruling coalition, Anwar was sacked and later jailed on charges of sodomy and abuse of power after a power struggle with Mahathir in the 1990s. Anwar led a reform movement that helped build a fledgling opposition but was jailed a second time in 2014 on sodomy charges that he said were trumped up.Once a high-flying member in the ruling coalition, Anwar was sacked and later jailed on charges of sodomy and abuse of power after a power struggle with Mahathir in the 1990s. Anwar led a reform movement that helped build a fledgling opposition but was jailed a second time in 2014 on sodomy charges that he said were trumped up.
Mahathir later reconciled with Anwar amid anger over a massive graft scandal involving a state investment fund. They forged an alliance that won the 2018 election, ushering in the first change of government since independence from Britain in 1957.Mahathir later reconciled with Anwar amid anger over a massive graft scandal involving a state investment fund. They forged an alliance that won the 2018 election, ushering in the first change of government since independence from Britain in 1957.
The current political crisis was sparked in part by Mahathir’s refusal to set a time frame to hand over power to Anwar, as they had agreed in their election pact.The current political crisis was sparked in part by Mahathir’s refusal to set a time frame to hand over power to Anwar, as they had agreed in their election pact.
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.