Muhyiddin quits as Malaysia's PM with no clear successor in sight

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Muhyiddin Yassin became the country’s shortest ruling prime minister after he officially tendered his resignation on Monday (Aug 16) amid a prolonged and fractious power struggle with the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) that has left the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition in tatters.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, in a Instagram post, confirmed that the Cabinet has tendered its resignation to Malaysia's King. Mr Muhyiddin is expected to address the nation soon.

The Pagoh MP led a tumultuous term that spanned just 17 months as he headed a fragile bloc of political parties that quickly turned against each other while he battled a pandemic that had wreaked havoc on the economy and killed thousands.

In the last few days of his premiership, Mr Muhyiddin faced mounting pressure from both his political opponents and the public angered by a worsening public health crisis.

It is still uncertain who will succeed him as prime minister, with Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob among names proposed for a new Umno-led coalition while Mr Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan has yet to show it commands the majority in Dewan Rakyat. 

Mr Muhyiddin's office did not respond to Reuters requests for confirmation on Monday.

Mr Muhyiddin's hand had weakened after months of infighting in his coalition. If confirmed, his resignation could also hamper Malaysia's efforts to reboot a pandemic-stricken economy and curb a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, as there is no obvious successor.

Malaysia's ringgit earlier fell to a one-year low and the stock market slipped.

It was not immediately clear who could form the next government, given no one has a clear majority in parliament, or whether elections could be held during the pandemic.

Malaysia's infections and fatality rates per million people are the highest in Southeast Asia.

The decision is likely to be thrust into the hands of constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, who can appoint a prime minister from among elected lawmakers based on who he thinks is most likely to command a majority.

Mr Muhyiddin, who had for weeks defied calls to quit, had informed party members that he would submit his resignation to the King on Monday, according to Mr Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, a minister in the prime minister's department, news portal Malaysiakini reported on Sunday.

The minister did not respond to a request for comment.

The prime minister convened a special cabinet meeting on Monday morning, state news agency Bernama reported. Reuters journalists saw Mr Muhyiddin arrive at the national palace.

His resignation could return the premiership to the Umno, which was voted out in a 2018 election after being tainted by corruption allegations.

The top two contenders for the premiership or interim prime minister's post include deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and veteran lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, both from Umno.

Mr Muhyiddin's grip on power has been precarious since he took office in March 2020 with a slim majority. Pressure on him mounted recently after some Umno lawmakers — the largest bloc in the ruling alliance — withdrew support.

Mr Muhyiddin had said the recent crisis was brought on by his refusal to meet demands including the dropping of corruption charges against some individuals.

Umno politicians, including former premier Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are facing graft charges. They have denied wrongdoing and were among those who withdrew support for Mr Muhyiddin this month. REUTERS, WITH AGENCIES