Malaysia king calls meeting over political deadlock

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysia’s king has called for royal rulers to meet on Thursday to resolve a political impasse that left the country without a prime minister days after inconclusive polls, the palace said. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin remain the frontrunners for the top job. Malaysia’s king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, has the discretionary power to appoint a premier whom he believes has the majority of lawmakers’ support. The palace said Wednesday the meeting of the country’s Malay rulers is aimed at helping the king “make the decision for the benefit and well-being of the country and the people.” Largely Muslim Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement where the throne rotates every five years between rulers of the nine Malaysian states headed by centuries-old Islamic royalty.