Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (right) waves as he arrives at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 22, 2022. (MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
The Malaysian monarch has set a new timeline for choosing the next prime minister as politicians rushed to end the post-election crisis by trying to form a stable government.
Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has likewise summoned the Barisan Nasional (BN) for a meeting Wednesday morning to find out who has the confidence of the majority. BN is the longest -ruling political coalition and has won 30 seats in the Saturday elections.
On Tuesday, the king summoned Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy premier and leader of Pakatan Harapan, and Muhyiddin Yassin, a former prime minister and leader of Perikatan Nasional. The two are leading candidates following the tightly contested Nov 19 elections that ended in a hung parliament
On Tuesday, the king summoned Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy premier and leader of Pakatan Harapan, and Muhyiddin Yassin, a former prime minister and leader of Perikatan Nasional. The two are leading candidates following the tightly contested Nov 19 elections that ended in a hung parliament.
The two parties secured the most number of seats in the Nov 19 elections, with PH winning 82 seats and PN 73. However, one needs to win at least 112 posts in the 222-seat parliament form the next federal government.
Southeast Asia’s third biggest economy has a constitutional monarchy system and as such, the king has the power to choose a prime minister.
In a press briefing held after his meeting with the king at the Istana Negara (National Palace), Anwar said that no decision has been made on the next prime minister and that Sultan Abdullah wishes to form a stable and inclusive government.
“The new timeline is to the discretion of the Agong,” Anwar was quoted by local media. Agong refers to the king, which is known by his official title as Yang di-Pertuan Agong (which means “One who is made Supreme Lord” in the Malay language). Muhyiddin didn’t speak to the press after his meeting with the king.
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“What is clear is that neither PH nor PN has a majority, and by insisting to stay out as opposition, no coalition can have a majority. However, since some BN MPs have expressed their preference for one side, the latest instruction from the Palace for 30 BN parliamentarians to be called in individually means that a majority may be constructed by way of individual endorsements, which gives no guarantee to political stability, “ said Wong Chin Huat, professor of governance studies at the Kuala Lumpur-based Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia, Sunway University.
Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said it would take a while to build a coalition government given that other parties that the PH and PN are wooing are “wavering as to which side to support”.
“And the king wants to make sure the ruling coalition is long-lasting,” Oh said. He has alluded to the fractious Malaysian politics in the past few years, where infighting in the ruling coalition has destabilized the government and produced three prime ministers in four years.
James Chin, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia, said the next premier has to build a stable coalition government and that must include a strong Malay party. The Malays comprised more than 60 percent of Malaysia’s multi-ethnic population.
The result of the 15th General Elections has pushed PN and PH to reach out to potential allies to create a coalition government. Anwar met up with BN but it decided to be neutral, with party leaders saying they are ready to be the opposition. PH and PN also sought the support of parties based in East Malaysia as they were once touted as potential king makers.
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The Sabah-based Parti Warisan said it is in favor of a PH-BN coalition. The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which won 23 seats, said they would leave it to the king’s wisdom to decide on the next Prime Minister. GPS also said they would work with PN, BN and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah in building a coalition government.
Sivananthi Thanenthiran, executive director of the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, said that at the end day, all political parties “have committed to a reform agenda in one way or another”.
“And that is essential to get the country back on track. In fact overwhelmingly, whoever voted, whether for PH or PN wanted a reform agenda,” she said.
prime@chinadailyapac.com