KUALA LUMPUR: Mahathir Mohamad faced a setback on his plans to seizemomentum in the ongoing political crisis after Malaysia’s king struck downhis power play to call the Parliament to vote on a new prime minister.
He rejected Mahathir’s plan to convene parliament to vote on the country’snext prime minister, after it was widely criticised as against theconstitution.
Old foes Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim are locked in a power struggle sparkedby the elderly leader’s resignation and their ruling coalition’s collapse,following a failed bid to push out leader-in-waiting Anwar.
The men had reconciled and led their coalition to victory in 2018 against acorrupt government, but this week’s drama has revived a rivalry that haslong shaped the Southeast Asian nation’s politics.
Mahathir, currently interim leader, earlier announced the parliamentsession would take place Monday and the monarch, who appoints the premier,agreed with the decision.
But after a meeting of the country’s Islamic sultans, the king, SultanAbdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, said the sitting would not take place,according to a palace statement.
The monarch has met all the country’s MPs this week to work out who theyback for premier, but no candidate has emerged with enough support. Acandidate must have support of at least 112 MPs.
“The king will continue to strive to find a solution in accordance with theconstitution, in the interests of the people and country,” said thestatement from royal official Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.
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Palace officials will now hold talks with the leaders of different partiesand ask them to put forward candidates, extending the turmoil andheightening the chances of a snap poll.
The announcement dealt a major blow to the strategy of Mahathir, who haslong had a difficult relationship with the country’s royals as he sought tocurb their powers during a first stint as premier from 1981 to 2003.
The party of Mahathir — at 94 the world’s oldest leader — said it wasnominating Muhyiddin Yassin. It signalled Mahathir was giving up onreturning as premier himself but wanted an ally in the role.
The former ruling coalition meanwhile said it was nominating Anwar, 72.
The men’s stormy relationship dates back to the 1990s when Mahathir sackedAnwar as his deputy, and he was jailed on dubious sodomy charges. – APP /AFP
