All should work as a team, next PM should immediately prove parliamentary majority: Malaysian king
18 August, 2021
The Malaysian king said on Wednesday (Aug 18) that the next prime minister should table a confidence motion in the parliament as soon as possible, while urging all parties to work as a team as the process to identify a new leader continues.
King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had earlier requested all MPs to submit a statutory declaration by Wednesday 4pm on who they support as the new prime minister, following the resignation of Mr Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday.
“His Majesty stressed that these statutory declarations are to help him make a decision in appointing an MP, who in his opinion may gain the confidence of the majority of MPs as provided under Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution,” a statement issued by palace comptroller Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin read.
“His Majesty also said that the prime minister who has been appointed by His Majesty in pursuant to Article 40(2)(a) and 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution should as soon as possible table a motion of confidence in the House of Representatives to prove that he commands the confidence of the majority of MPs,” the statement added.
The statement said that in a meeting with political party leaders on Tuesday, the monarch had stressed that consensus and honesty among MPs are very necessary to ensure that the welfare and safety of the people remain the priority.
“The members of the House of Representatives need to show solidarity by continuing their efforts, giving high commitment and providing the best service to the people,” it added.
Both the king and Perak sultan, who is deputy agong, also expressed their views during the royal audience that all MPs should strive to create unity among all political parties and focus on solving current issues.
"Before the royal audience ended yesterday, the king also reminded the leaders and representatives from major political party leaders that, to ensure harmony, MPs who win should reach out to cooperate with those who have failed, and all parties should be ready to cooperate in one team.
“In other words, the winner does not win everything while the loser does not lose everything,” the statement read.
The statement also confirmed that the king will preside over a special meeting of the Malay rulers on Friday.
The Star earlier reported that during the meeting, the king is "most likely to share the decision of the 220 MPs" with regard to who they back as the next prime minister.
The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has announced that it is set to nominate Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob as their prime minister candidate following a supreme council meeting on Tuesday night.
Main parties in the Perikatan Nasional coalition, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) have not confirmed if they too will nominate Mr Ismail Sabri.
Meanwhile, local media has reported that the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition will nominate Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim as their prime minister candidate.
The prime minister candidates need to convince the ruler that they likely command majority support of the Lower House, which currently has 220 MPs and two vacant seats.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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