Kuala Lumpur:
Malaysia’s prime minister and his government resigned Monday right after just 17 months in workplace, throwing the nation into fresh political turmoil as it battles a critical coronavirus outbreak.
Muhyiddin Yassin’s tumultuous period in workplace came to an finish right after allies withdrew help and a last-ditch bid to cling to energy failed, and he becomes the shortest serving premier in Malaysian history.
After a final cabinet meeting, the 74-year-old headed to the national palace to submit his resignation to the king.
Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin confirmed on Instagram that the complete cabinet had quit.
“Thank you for the opportunity to, once again, serve the nation,” he wrote.
Mohamad Redzuan Yusof, a minister in the prime minister’s workplace, confirmed to AFP that Muhyiddin had tendered his resignation, and it had been accepted.
Muhyiddin was reportedly set to address the nation later Monday.
There is no clear successor to Muhyiddin but an election appears unlikely as the nation faces its worst Covid-19 wave however and an financial downturn.
Rather, a period of political horse-trading is anticipated just before a new coalition emerges that can command a majority in parliament.
“His replacement is anybody’s guess,” stated Oh Ei Sun, an analyst at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
Malaysia’s constitutional monarch formally appoints the premier, and it will be up to him to assess who has enough backing from MPs.
Muhyiddin came to energy in March last year devoid of an election at the head of a scandal-plagued coalition following the collapse of a two-year-old, reformist government led by nonagenarian political heavyweight Mahathir Mohamad.
But his government faced turmoil from day one — his majority in parliament was in doubt, its legitimacy was frequently questioned, and he faced a continuous challenge from opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim.
– Criticism more than virus response –
The demise of his government extends a period of political drama for the multi-ethnic nation of 32 million.
After independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia was ruled for more than six decades by a coalition dominated by the country’s ethnic Malay Muslim majority.
But corruption scandals, unpopular race-based policies and increasingly authoritarian rule prompted weary voters to boot the coalition and its leader Najib Razak out of energy at 2018 polls.
The victory of Mahathir’s opposition alliance fuelled hopes for a new era, but it collapsed amid bitter infighting.
Muhyiddin, who had been a member of Mahathir’s government but ended up plotting its downfall, hammered with each other a ramshackle coalition.
As effectively as queries more than its legitimacy, it faced mounting criticism more than its failure to maintain the virus outbreak below manage — officials have now reported more than 1.1 million circumstances and 12,000 deaths.
In January, Muhyiddin persuaded the king to declare Malaysia’s 1st nationwide state of emergency for more than half a century, ostensibly to fight the pandemic.
But parliament was also suspended for months, major to criticism that Muhyiddin was employing the crisis to keep away from a no-self-confidence vote.
Muhyiddin’s position ultimately became untenable right after a group of after allied MPs withdrew help, depriving him of a parliamentary majority, and the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, turned against him.
He made his last bid to keep in energy on Friday, attractive to opposition MPs to back him in a no-self-confidence vote — but his provide was rejected.
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