Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Explainer: Umno asking PM Muhyiddin to resign and what this means for Malaysia’s political scene

SINGAPORE — A tense marriage of convenience between Malaysia’s ruling Perikatan Nasional government and the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) boiled over late on Wednesday (July 8) when Umno announced a withdrawal of support for the country’s prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and called for his resignation.

Tensions have been brewing for a while between the leadership of the United Malays National Organisation and the Bersatu party of Malaysia's prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin (pictured).

Tensions have been brewing for a while between the leadership of the United Malays National Organisation and the Bersatu party of Malaysia's prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin (pictured).

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

  • Malaysia’s prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin may lose his premiership with Umno withdrawing its support
  • Analysts said both parties will be trying to gain the support of as many MPs as possible in the next few weeks 
  • Even if Mr Muhyiddin is not able to gain majority support, he may still be able to lead with a minority government 
  • Tension between Umno and the ruling Perikatan Nasional government is one factor driving the wedge

 

SINGAPORE — A tense marriage of convenience between Malaysia’s ruling Perikatan Nasional government and the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) boiled over late on Wednesday (July 8) when Umno announced a withdrawal of support for the country’s prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and called for his resignation. 

The news led to fresh political upheaval in Malaysia, with questions emerging over whether Mr Muhyiddin can hold on to power less than one-and-a-half years since he took over the premiership following the collapse of the former ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan, which had won the general election in 2018.

Experts on Malaysia politics told TODAY that the fate of Mr Muhyiddin’s government is still up in the air, since it remains unclear if all of Umno’s 38 members of parliament (MPs) would break away from Perikatan Nasional and, in the process, deny it of the majority it now commands.

Mr Muhyiddin may well stay in power if he manages to muster majority support from MPs from his coalition as well as those outside, or he could lead a minority government if no other candidate can command majority support, the analysts said. 

In the event that Mr Muhyiddin resigns, a leader with majority support could take over, or the king could appoint an interim premier to lead the government until an election can be held. 

Whatever the case, intense horse-trading among political parties is expected in the coming weeks so as to secure majority support, the experts said.

TODAY explains how tensions between Perikatan Nasional and Umno came to a head and what is next for Malaysian politics. 

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW

Umno’s president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced on Wednesday night that Umno — the country’s largest and main component party of the former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional — will be withdrawing support for Mr Muhyiddin with immediate effect. 

This comes after months of threatening to do so and Mr Ahmad Zahid said that the Perikatan Nasional government has failed to fulfil the conditions required for Umno’s continued support.

This means that Mr Muhyiddin may lose the majority of Malaysia’s 222-seat federal parliament. 

With only 77 seats held by component parties of the ruling coalition, including 32 from Mr Muhyiddin’s Bersatu party, it falls short of 112 seats needed for a simple majority. 

WHAT LED TO THIS

Umno’s withdrawal is essentially the party making good a threat that it has been making as early as October last year. 

In January this year, two Umno lawmakers withdrew their support for the prime minister. And then in March, Umno announced after its general assembly its decision to end its political cooperation with Bersatu. 

Umno had supported the Perikatan Nasional government through a motion of confidence after a weekend of political wrangling in February last year within the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition led to its collapse and the shock resignation of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. 

Mr Muhyiddin was then appointed to be prime minister by Malaysia’s king, after he defected from Pakatan Harapan and formed an alliance with Umno. 

Ms Ariel Tan from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) said that Mr Muhyiddin and his party have had a tense relationship with the Umno leadership even before the formation of the Perikatan Nasional coalition and certainly since then.

This is because many of the Bersatu leaders, including Dr Mahathir, were formerly from Umno and they broke away to form the new Bersatu party to contest in the 2018 general election, alongside Mr Anwar Ibrahim, who has been leading the opposition in Malaysia politics.

“Further, it is felt that Mr Muhyiddin has not accorded the party leadership sufficient respect and senior Cabinet positions befitting the party that has the most seats in the Perikatan Nasional coalition,” Ms Tan said. She is coordinator of the Malaysia Programme in RSIS that studies the country’s key developments. 

Professor James Chin, who teaches Asian studies at the University of Tasmania, said that another reason for the tension is because Mr Ahmad Zahid and former prime minister Najib Razak are unhappy that their corruption trials are still ongoing despite being part of the ruling government.

“They thought that by being part of the government, obviously the trial will disappear or they will come to some sort of arrangement where the charges will disappear. But Mr Muhyiddin has not done anything. He has allowed the trial to go on and Mr Najib was found guilty in one of them. 

“That’s the reason why they are very angry and why they are so hell-bent on pushing Mr Muhyiddin down,” Prof Chin said. 

WHAT’S NEXT

Prof Chin said that a lot of horse trading is to be expected in the next few weeks as both parties would try to gain the support of as many MPs as possible. 

Complicating matters is the presence of rival factions within Umno, with one side opposing the prime minister and the other wanting to continue to be part of the government. 

To appease Umno, Mr Muhyiddin had appointed Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be deputy prime minister and Mr Hishammuddin Hussein as senior minister on Tuesday. 

Both are senior Umno leaders. 

“Right now it is not clear which faction is bigger,” Prof Chin said. 

Ms Tan said that the positions of Umno MPs are not cast in stone and are negotiable.

However, it would be hard for Bersatu to rejoin its former allies in Pakatan Harapan given the personal animosities among their key leaders, she noted. 

Associate Professor Awang Azman of the University of Malaya, however, said that it might still be possible for Mr Muhyiddin to work with Dr Mahathir. 

If Mr Muhyiddin managed to obtain majority support, whether from those within his coalition or outside, then he may remain in power, Ms Tan said. 

He could still remain in power even if he does not have majority support by leading a minority government — a convention allowed in the Westminster parliamentary system — in the event that no other candidate is able to prove that he or she has majority support.  

“Alternatively, Mr Muhyiddin may resign, a leader with majority support takes over or an interim prime minister is appointed by the king to lead the government until such time that a general election may be safely held,” Ms Tan added.  

With Malaysia heading for its first parliament meeting this year on July 26, Assoc Prof Awang said that the parliamentary session may be extended and a vote of no confidence could take place. 

The passing of such a parliamentary motion would mean that the elected MPs no longer have confidence in members of the government, which could pave the way for its removal. 

However, Prof Chin said that such a motion would not happen as long as the speaker of the federal parliament is on Mr Muhyiddin’s side. 

The current speaker, Mr Azhar Azizan Harun, was appointed by the Malaysian government, instead of being voted in by the MPs. 

WILL AN ELECTION BE CALLED SOON

A general election is unlikely at this point given the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia, Ms Tan pointed out. 

“There is little appetite for a general election among other parties and the general public at this time and perhaps for the next six months. 

“A general election may not necessarily clarify Malaysia's political situation if the parties remain evenly matched with no permanent coalition winning a strong majority,” she added. 

The only party that might be interested in holding one now is probably only Umno, the analysts said. 

Ms Tan said that Umno leaders may think it will help them strengthen their position and increase the number of Umno MPs in parliament. 

Given that Umno and Bersatu are gunning for the same voter base, that is, rural Malays, Prof Chin said that Umno probably believes that it might do well at the polls if the election was held right after the pandemic is under control, and weaken Bersatu. 

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT PM

There appears to be no frontrunner who could take over the premiership if Mr Muhyiddin decides to step down because the situation is highly uncertain and fluid, the analysts said.

A suitable candidate would be someone who is accepted by the majority party and Malaysian citizens of various ethnicities, Assoc Prof Awang said. 

He suggested Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Mr Anwar, who is now the Leader of the Opposition, as possible candidates. 

Mr Razaleigh, who is the MP for Gua Musang, had come out to say that he is ready to serve as interim Malaysian prime minister in the interest of the country, Malaysian newspapers reported. 

Prof Chin pointed out that the more important issue is which political power will take over the prime minister’s office. 

Even if Mr Muhyiddin steps down, the political situation will remain the same if his replacement is someone who is also from Bersatu. 

“In the Malaysian system, all powers and patronage come from the prime minister’s office. As long as Bersatu controls the prime minister’s office, it will have a future in Malaysia politics. If Mr Muhyiddin steps down and is replaced by someone from Umno or another party, then Bersatu will be in big trouble,” Prof Chin said. 

Related topics

Malaysia Politics UMNO Muhyiddin Yassin

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.