Malaysia is currently dealing with its most potent outbreak of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, but no one’s talking about it at the moment.
That’s because Malaysia’s now-former Prime Minister Mr Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on Monday (16 Aug), due to growing pressure and criticism from his colleagues.
The country is now dealing with yet another power vacuum, just as it did last year when ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad resigned in February.
Malaysians may not have to wait too long to find out who their next leader is, however, as lawmakers are gathering today to officially name their preferred choice.
114 MPs in M’sia Summoned to the Palace to Back Ismail Sabri Yaakob as PM
The 114 MPs who backed Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the country’s next prime minister have been summoned to the King’s palace to verify their stance.
These MPs had reportedly signed statutory declarations (SDs) supporting Ismail Sabri as a candidate for prime minister.
The MPs will meet the king today (19 Aug) in groups, starting from 10 am.
Since there are 222 seats in Malaysia’s Parliament, the next prime minister will require the support of at least 111 MPs to secure a simple majority.
The two candidates said to be leading the race are Mr Ismail and Anwar Ibrahim.
However, since Mr Ismail has the support of 114 MPs, he has secured a simple majority. All the MPs need to do now is officially declare their stance.
New Prime Minister Must Face Vote of Confidence to Prove Legitimacy
Typically, after a ruling coalition loses power in Malaysia, a snap election would be held, but with COVID-19 running riot, that wouldn’t be a good idea.
Yesterday, Malaysia’s King confirmed that he will name a new prime minister, but added that the new appointee will have to face a vote of confidence to prove he has the majority.
It’s not clear when the new prime minister will be announced.
In the meantime, Malaysia is coming to grips with its worst outbreak, with 19,631 new infections recorded across the country on Tuesday (17 Aug).
Around a couple of weeks ago, on 8 Aug, 360 COVID-19 fatalities were reported, the highest daily death toll since the pandemic began last year.
As the Malaysian palace said in a statement: “His Majesty… (has) expressed that the unending political turmoil without any full stop has disrupted the government’s governance during a time when we still face the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the palace said.
Confused about the politics in Malaysia? Watch this video to solve your queries:
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