Malaysia’s King Has Several Options After Anwar’s Power The monarch, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, plans to hold an audience with Anwar soon to give him the opportunity to prove his assertion, after postponing a Tuesday meeting for health reasons. There’s no exact time set yet.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has maintained that he is still the legitimate leader and denounced Anwar’s attempt to destabilize the country’s politics.
Here are a few ways the king could decide to resolve the impasse:
Call an ElectionThe king has the power to dissolve parliament, after which an election must be held within 60 days. Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition coalitions have called for snap polls to resolve the political uncertainty once and for all, as Muhyiddin was sworn into office in March after the collapse of a government that took power after a 2018 election. Muhyiddin could also call an election, which he earlier said he might do if his coalition wins the Sabah statewide polls this Saturday.
Seek Confidence VoteThe monarch could request the speaker of the lower house to bring forward the next parliament sitting, currently set for Nov. 2, to hold a confidence vote sooner. The opposition has been planning to challenge Muhyiddin’s support in parliament for months, but the speaker has repeatedly placed the motion at the bottom of the agenda. In July, the prime minister proved he held a slim majority in parliament when he replaced the speaker.
Appoint Prime MinisterAfter former leader Mahathir Mohamad abruptly resigned in February, the king spent days speaking with each lawmaker to find out who they support, which led to Muhyiddin’s appointment. This time, there’s no leadership vacuum, so the monarch may need to urge the current premier to step down if Anwar has the backing of a majority of lawmakers in parliament.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-has-several-options-after-anwar-s-power-playand from the day before:
Malaysia poised for more turmoil...- Muhyiddin urges people to reject moves to destabilize country
- Anwar says he has ‘strong, formidable majority’ support
Malaysia appeared poised for a new round of political turmoil after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed to have enough support from lawmakers to form a government.
Malaysia’s king is set to play a key role in what happens next after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed he had majority support to form a government.
Malaysian politics has been wracked with instability this year following the collapse of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s government in February. While Muhyiddin eventually cobbled together a coalition and took office in March, he’s only managed to command a majority of a handful of votes in Malaysia’s 222-member parliament.
“I urge the people to reject the rash actions of some politicians who deliberately want to disrupt the political stability and the country’s economic recovery plan,” Muhyiddin said in a speech on Wednesday, in which he announced 10 billion ringgit ($2.4 billion) of additional stimulus measures.
Anwar, who cut a deal to succeed Mahathir after they shocked Malaysia with an election victory in 2018, has been looking for a way back to power ever since their coalition collapsed. On Wednesday, he told reporters he amassed “a strong, formidable majority” and would soon have an audience with the king, who serves as head of state.
“We need a strong, stable government to run this country and to save the country,” Anwar said in a press conference.
Anwar said he was set to meet the king on Tuesday, before the meeting was postponed as the monarch went for treatment at the National Heart Institute. He added that he would meet the king after he’s recovered. The palace later confirmed the meeting’s postponement.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index extended declines after Anwar’s announcement to slide 0.6% to 1,496.48, the lowest close since Sept. 10. The ringgit weakened 0.5%.
“Right now it’s a war of words,” said Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the Asia Research Institute, University of Nottingham Malaysia. “We’re entering into another period of intense negotiation and fluidity in the political situation in Malaysia, and it hasn’t really stopped since February.”
Muhyiddin is unlikely to easily give up power, Welsh added. “I think he can learn the lesson from Mahathir: don’t resign.”
| How the political parties have responded: |
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| 1 | - Barisan Nasional, Bersatu party, Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, Sarawak Parties Coalition, United Sabah Party and Parti Bersatu Sabah and Homeland Solidarity Party support Muhyiddin
- National Trust Party, or Amanah, said its 11 lawmakers support Anwar
- Democratic Action Party with 42 lawmakers will support Anwar if he can form a government
- Anwar’s own People’s Justice Party holds 38 seats in parliament
- Zahid Hamidi, leader of UMNO that’s part of Barisan Nasional, said a few of its lawmakers support Anwar
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Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle had been calling for early polls recently to settle months of political uncertainty. Muhyiddin has said he may hold a snap election sooner if his coalition wins the state polls on Saturday in Sabah, where he’s currently campaigning.
Anwar wouldn’t say how many lawmakers his government would command, but said it was “convincing.” He added that there’s no urgency to hold elections.
Investors are growing more accustomed to instability in Malaysia. While a weak currency could trigger strict capital controls that affect foreign investment, there’s not much risk of that happening now, according to Mingze Wu, a currency trader at StoneX Group in Singapore.
“Internal politics in Malaysia remain messy, but are unlikely to affect economic policies,” he said.
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