Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad yesterday tendered his resignation to Malaysia’s king while his political party quit the ruling alliance, in a shocking political upheaval less than two years after his election victory.
The prime minister’s office said in a statement that Mahathir, 94, submitted his resignation to the palace at 1pm, but gave no details.
Mahathir also quit as chairman of his Bersatu party.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The stunning turn of events come amid plans by Mahathir’s supporters in Bersatu to team up with opposition parties to form a new government and thwart the transition of power to his named successor, People’s Justice Party President Anwar Ibrahim.
Minutes before his resignation was offered, Bersatu said it would leave the four-party Alliance of Hope and support Mahathir as the prime minister.
Eleven other lawmakers, including several Cabinet ministers, also announced they were quitting Anwar’s party to form an independent bloc.
Photo: Reuters
The withdrawal of more than three dozen lawmakers means the ruling alliance has lost its majority in parliament, throwing the country into an uncertain future and sparking fears of more turmoil over how the political drama would play out.
Opinions are divided on whether Mahathir is quitting for good or making a tactical move to buy time to cobble together a new majority to form a government.
King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who met the leaders of Bersatu and several other parties on Sunday, met Anwar yesterday afternoon and summoned Mahathir to the palace.
Analysts said the king could decide on which faction has support or dissolve parliament.
The drama unraveled on Sunday with maneuvers aimed at keeping Mahathir in power and thwarting Anwar, replaying their old feud.
Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy during Mahathir’s first stint as prime minister, but fell out politically before reuniting in a pact that ousted a corruption-tainted government in the May 2018 election.
Anwar said late on Sunday there were attempts by some Bersatu members and “traitors” from his party to form a new government.
He said yesterday that after meeting Mahathir with other alliance leaders that Mahathir had quit as he did not want to be associated with the former government that he worked so hard to oust in 2018.
“His name was used, by those within my party and outside,” Anwar told reporters, adding that Mahathir “reiterated to me what he had said earlier, that he played no part in it and he made it very clear, that in no way will he ever work with those associated with the past regime.”
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