The way for Anwar to become Prime Minister was cleared when various small parties agreed to support him to form a unity government.
Image Credit source: AFP
Malaysia’s Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, reformist opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was declared the new Prime Minister of the country on Thursday. This ended several days of political uncertainty following the general elections in Malaysia with a fractured mandate. Sultan said that Anwar will be administered the oath of office on Thursday itself. The Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) alliance led by Anwar won the maximum number of 82 seats in the general election.
However, this coalition fell far short of the required 112 seats to form the government. The Malay-centric Perikatan Nasional (National Alliance) of former Prime Minister Muhyiddin won 73 seats in the election. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 49 seats.
Many small parties supported Anwar
The way for Anwar to become Prime Minister was cleared when various small parties agreed to support him to form a unity government. With Anwar becoming the prime minister, there is hope that concerns about the increasing Islamization of Malaysia under Muhyiddin’s rule will be resolved and the initiative to reform the governance system will be restored.
At the same time, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO)-led coalition got 30 seats in its account, due to which the key to power was said to be in its hands. UMNO reversed its decision to remain in the opposition, saying it would consider the Sultan’s proposal to form a unity government.
UMNO had 26 seats
UMNO secretary general Ahmed Maslan had said that the party’s highest decision-making body had now decided to support a unity government that would not be led by the Muhyiddin camp. The party will accept any unity government or any other form of government formed by the Sultan. UMNO has 26 seats, while the other constituents of the coalition led by it have four.
Abdullah Sultan had proposed a unity government
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah proposed a unity government on Tuesday, but Muhyiddin rejected the idea. After this, the Sultan called all 30 MPs of the coalition led by the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), the third largest faction, to his palace on Wednesday. The National Front of UMNO had said that it would not support either leader and would remain in the opposition.
(language report)
Source: www.tv9hindi.com”