After months of resisting pressure to hand over the premiership to his named successor, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad finally quit this week. But in a confounding twist, the 94-year-old leader emerged stronger than before, while his ruling alliance, which won a historic vote about two years ago, met its Waterloo, report agencies.
Malaysia’s king accepted Mahathir’s shocking resignation Monday. The move came in tandem with plans by Mahathir’s supporters to team up with opposition parties to form a new government and foil the transition of power to his named successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
But Mahathir’s Bersatu party ditched the alliance, depriving it of its majority rule after 37 lawmakers left and throwing the country into political distress. With the political situation murky, leaders from both factions raced Tuesday to secure support for a new government.
Leaders of the United Malays National Organization, including disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on trial for corruption, will reportedly meet the king Tuesday afternoon. Local media reported that speculation was rife that UMNO can form a government in a new coalition with a fundamentalist Islamist party, Bersatu and two other parties on Borneo island.
Members of Bersatu made a beeline to Mahathir’s house Tuesday morning after rejecting his resignation as party chairman. Mahathir has kept mum since the dizzying political debacle began over the weekend. Anwar and other alliance leaders said Monday that Mahathir was not the mastermind behind the conspiracy and that he had quit because he refused to work with UMNO, which he had worked so hard to oust in 2018 polls.
The focus now is on what Mahathir, the world’s oldest leader, will do next. He returned to work in his office Tuesday morning after the king dissolved the Cabinet and appointed him as interim leader until a new government is formed. Mahathir has kept his cards close to his chest, but what’s clear is that he has the support of all sides, which can pave the way for a comeback — on a clean slate. Both Anwar’s alliance and the defectors trying to grab power support Mahathir as their leader. elections. Bersih warned it would call for a major rally if an undemocratic government is formed.