Muhyiddin takes oath as Malaysia's 8th prime minister

KUALA LUMPUR — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president Muhyiddin Yassin took the oath of office as the country's eighth prime minister on Sunday morning (March 1).

The swearing-in ceremony took place before Malaysian King, Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, in the Istana Negara.

The ceremony was also aired live on television.

Also present were members from his party, as well as from the United Malays National Organisation and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, as well as former-Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Mr Muhyiddin arrived at the palace in a black Perdana at 9.50am with his wife Noorainee Abdul Rahman.

A convoy of five vehicles accompanied him. Mr Muhyiddin waved and smiled to media personnel waiting outside the palace gates.

Meanwhile, interim prime minister Mahathir Mohamad continued to assert that he had the support of the majority to become the prime minister but said that the Agong had refused to meet him.

Dr Mahathir added that his pact would now push for Mr Muhyiddin to prove his support in Dewan Rakyat.

“The King has made a decision not to see me anymore but will appoint Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin as prime minister,” he told a press conference at the Yayasan Al-Bukhary on Sunday.

“So I do not have a chance to tell the King that (Mr Muhyiddin) does not have the majority, that is the situation now. I cannot communicate with the Palace.”

Dr Mahathir expressed his disappointment in a man he claimed had been plotting a government without Pakatan Harapan (PH) for a long time.

When asked if he felt disappointed in Mr Mohamed Azmin, who led an 11-man defection from the PH coalition, which contributed to the week-long political turmoil, Dr Mahathir said: “He (Azmin) has his own agenda, but he has chosen to work with Muhyiddin.

“But I feel betrayed mostly by Muhyiddin. He was working on this for a long time and now he has succeeded.” AGENCIES