Aug. 20 (UPI) — Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Friday was named the new prime minister of Malaysia following months of political turmoil that led to his predecessor’s resignation.
A former defense minister and current deputy prime minister, Ismail Sabri was appointed by King Al-Sultan Abdullah, The Guardian reported Friday.
The pick means the United Malays National Organization, the country’s longest-governing party, will again control the prime minister’s office. The party has held power for six decades but was voted out in 2018 for its involvement in a financial scandal over a state fund.
Muhyiddin Yassin resigned as prime minister on Monday after losing support from members of his governing coalition in Parliament. Government officials have indicated that an election will not be held soon as COVID-19 continues to spread in the country. The Malaysian government has faced growing criticism over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic slump, The Guardian reported.
The country has seen rising case numbers despite a lockdown order that went into effect in June. According to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, Malaysia’s weekly number of deaths grew by about 75% over the past two weeks to 1,760 last week and weekly cases reached 142,000.
A petition opposing Ismail Sabri’s appointment over his handling of the pandemic has drawn 350,000 signatures, and authorities arrested 31 protesters who held a candlelight vigil for the country’s deaths from COVID-19.
With the support of 114 lawmakers, Ismail Sabri, 61, has the backing of a slim majority in Parliament, CNBC reported. He will be the third prime minister the country has had in three years. His swearing-in on Saturday means that the governing coalition Muhyiddin clashed with will stay intact.
But the country’s fractured politics will likely mean more instability until an election can be held, Peter Mumford, practice head for Southeast and South Asia at risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told CNBC’s Capital Connection on Tuesday.
He said none of Malaysia’s array of political parties, which he said are driven by race or religion over economic ideology, holds more than 20% of parliamentary seats.
“One of the key ways out of this political mess is for another round of general elections, and then after that negotiations on who could be the next prime minister,” he said. “And if those elections result in a party or a coalition having a clear majority, then there’ll be more of a stable government.”