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Malaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir admits no-confidence vote in Muhyiddin likely to fail
- The former premier said the Pakatan Harapan coalition could no longer offer incentives to MPs, who are now switching allegiances
- Muhyiddin says he has reached out to Mahathir to request forgiveness, and wants his endorsement of the new government
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Malaysia’s new opposition may be finally conceding defeat after being unceremoniously thrown out of government in February after just 21 months of rule, with former premier Mahathir Mohamad admitting that the Pakatan Harapan coalition’s plan to raise a no-confidence motion in parliament against new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was likely to fail.
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“Now he is the government he can afford to offer incentives to many. Some of my supporters have switched allegiances to him, they have been made ministers,” Mahathir, who resigned on February 24, told local newspaper Sinar Harian this week.
“When he offers ministership, it’s hard for people to refuse. I cannot offer them anything. So now to bring a motion of no confidence is impossible,” he said. “It will not succeed … We had more than 114 seats but now that has become less.”
Muhyiddin – who served as president of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu) while Mahathir was chairman – was made premier early this month after a week-long political crisis initiated by then-opposition attempts to form a back door Malay unity government, getting rid of the PH coalition which won elections in May 2018.
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His rise to power was not predicted, as many believed that Mahathir, 94, who also served as premier from 1981 to 2003, would claw back the position or make way for PH leader and reformist icon Anwar Ibrahim, 72, who was promised he would get the top job before 2023.
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