Malaysia PM’s cabinet resigns – Minister

Science minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Monday said Malaysia’s cabinet led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has tendered its resignation to the king.

This came after months of political turmoil that resulted in a loss of the premier’s majority.

Khairy announced the news in a post on Instagram.

Muhyiddin’s office did not respond to Reuters requests for confirmation.

Muhyiddin’s hand had weakened after months of infighting in his coalition.

If confirmed, his resignation would end a tumultuous 17 months in office.

It could also hamper Malaysia’s efforts to reboot a pandemic-stricken economy and curb a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, as there is no obvious successor.

Malaysia’s ringgit currency earlier fell to a one-year low and the stock market (.KLSE) slipped.

It was not immediately clear who could form the next government, given no one has a clear majority in parliament, or whether elections could be held during the pandemic.

Malaysia’s infections and fatality rates per million people are the highest in Southeast Asia.

The decision is likely to be thrust into the hands of constitutional monarch King Al-Sultan Abdullah.

With the powers of Abdullah he can appoint a prime minister from among elected lawmakers based on who he thinks is most likely to command a majority.

Muhyiddin, who had for weeks defied calls to quit, had informed party members that he would submit his resignation to the king.

The minister did not respond to a request for comment.

Muhyiddin’s grip on power has been precarious since he took office in March 2020 with a slim majority.

Pressure on him mounted recently after some UMNO lawmakers – the largest bloc in the ruling alliance – withdrew support.

Muhyiddin had said the recent crisis was brought on by his refusal to meet demands including the dropping of corruption charges against some individuals.

UMNO politicians, including former premier Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are facing graft charges.

They have denied wrongdoing and were among those who withdrew support for Muhyiddin in August.