Malaysia’s king says soon-to-be named PM must face confidence vote, warns against ‘winner takes all’ mentality
- New leader – expected to be named on Friday following a secret ballot – will face immediate test of his support in parliament
- Outgoing deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is thought to be the front runner to succeed Muhyiddin Yassin, as Anwar Ibrahim’s hopes fade
The royal statement from the office of Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah came hours before a 4pm deadline for the country’s 220 MPs to each submit a single nominee for prime minister.
The secret ballot will help the monarch make a decision on who is most likely to command the confidence of the country’s lower house of parliament, the Dewan Rakyat.
He is expected to make a final decision soon after he convenes a special meeting of the heads of the country’s nine royal households on Friday.
The outgoing deputy prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, is thought to be the front runner after his United Malays National Organisation (Umno) – with 38 MPs – and its allies closed ranks to back him to succeed Muhyiddin.
Much of Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional alliance, made up of his own Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), the hardline Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia and the ruling bloc in autonomously governed Sarawak, is expected to back Ismail Sabri.
As part of the deal, Muhyiddin’s right hand man and PPBM secretary general Hamzah Zainudin is in the running to be the deputy prime minister.
Muhyiddin, 74, was forced to step down after some Umno MPs quit his ruling alliance, citing a lack of confidence in his leadership during the Covid-19 crisis.
