Dewan Rakyat to decide next PM at special sitting on Monday

PUTRAJAYA: The Dewan Rakyat will convene a special sitting on Monday to choose the next prime minister, Interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced yesterday, saying this was conveyed to him by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at a meeting at Istana Negara earlier in the day.

Dr Mahathir said the special sitting will be convened as the King could not find anybody with a distinct majority to be the next premier after two days of personally interviewing members of parliament (MPs).

“The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has decided the right forum to [resolve the issue] is in Parliament. The Dewan Rakyat will be called on March 2, 2020 in order to determine who has the support to be the next prime minister,” he told a press conference after unveiling a stimulus package to counter the economic impact of Covid-19.

Dr Mahathir added that a snap general election would be called if the special sitting failed to get the necessary majority from the 222 MPs to elect a new prime minister.

Malaysia’s political landscape is currently split among three major groups — Pakatan Harapan, which is proposing PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be prime minister, Dr Mahathir’s supporters led by his party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), and Muafakat Nasional comprising Umno and PAS.

This follows Bersatu’s exit from the ruling Pakatan coalition on Monday, which put an end to the latter’s simple majority of at least 112 MPs, resulting in the collapse of the federal government.

The latest news means that the three groups have until Monday to finalise their candidates, and secure the simple majority needed to form the new government.

Dr Mahathir, who had proposed a merit-based unity government as opposed to a party-based one, said he would support whoever wins the majority and is installed as the next prime minister.

Source: TheEdgeMarkets