Halt bickering: Malaysia king

No poll as country under Covid grip

THE MONARCH stressed that the new leader should not be vindictive and that all parties must cooperate in tackling the pandemic and reviving the economy, said Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 17: Malaysia’s king called for an end to political bickering at a meeting Tuesday with party leaders as he began the process of selecting a new prime minister amid a worsening Coronavirus outbreak.

The resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday after less than 18 months in office followed mounting public anger over what was widely perceived as his government’s poor handling of the pandemic.

Malaysia has one of the world's highest infection rates and deaths per capita, with daily cases breaching 20,000 this month despite a sevenmonth state of emergency and a lockdown since June.

The king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, has ruled out a new general election because many parts of the country are Covid-19 red zones and health facilities are inadequate. Muhyiddin was appointed caretaker prime minister until a successor is found.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was among eight party leaders summoned for a group meeting at the palace, said the king urged them to end their bickering.

The monarch stressed that the new leader should not be vindictive and that all parties must cooperate in tackling the pandemic and reviving the economy, he said.

“The issue here is not about appointing a new prime minister but more importantly, his majesty...stressed the need to forge a new political landscape,” said

Anwar told reporters outside the palace.

All party leaders in Muhyiddin’s alliance and the opposition expressed their opinions during the meeting and there appeared to be a consensus to “drop the old style of tired and boring politics and focus on developing the nation,” he said.

The king plays a largely ceremonial role but appoints the person he believes has majority support of Parliament to be prime minister. Muhyiddin took power in March 2020 after initiating the collapse of the reformist government that won 2018 elections.

With a razor-thin majority in Parliament and an unstable coalition, he became the country’s shortest-ruling leader. The king also asked all lawmakers to individually submit the name of a preferred candidate for prime minister by Wednesday. This is somewhat similar to how the king picked Muhyiddin last year.