Malaysia’s king struck down Friday a power play by 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad aimed at seizing momentum in a political crisis, capping a week of turmoil that has left the country effectively leaderless. He rejected Mahathir’s plan to convene parliament to vote on the country’s next prime minister, after it was widely criticised as against the constitution.
Old foes Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim are locked in a power struggle sparked by the elderly leader’s resignation and their ruling coalition’s collapse, following a failed bid to push out leader-in-waiting Anwar.
The men had reconciled and led their coalition to victory in 2018 against a corrupt government, but this week’s drama has revived a rivalry that has long shaped the Southeast Asian nation’s politics.
Mahathir, currently interim leader, earlier announced the parliament session would take place Monday and the monarch, who appoints the premier, agreed with the decision.
But after a meeting of the country’s Islamic sultans, the king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, said the sitting would not take place, according to a palace statement. The monarch has met all the country’s MPs this week to work out who they back for premier, but no candidate has emerged with enough support. A candidate must have support of at least 112 MPs.
