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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah will not grant an audience to anyone for a week as he is under observation in a hospital, a palace official said on Friday (September 25), as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim seeks a meeting. with him to form a new government.
Anwar said this week that a “strong and formidable” majority of lawmakers in parliament has been secured to oust Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. But he has to convince the king that he has the numbers to form a government.
The political turmoil comes just seven months after another power struggle that saw Muhyiddin take over as prime minister and could delay efforts to stabilize an economy reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Muhyiddin, who has a slim majority in parliament, has dismissed Anwar’s claims of a majority and challenged him to prove it through a constitutional process.
READ: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin casts doubt on Anwar’s claim of majority parliamentary support
READ: Anwar calls for parliamentary majority: What are the possible implications for the Malaysian political scene?
The king plays a primarily ceremonial role in Malaysia, but could appoint a prime minister who, in his opinion, is likely to have the majority in parliament. It could also dissolve parliament and trigger elections on the advice of the prime minister.
“His doctors have advised His Majesty to stay in (the hospital) for seven days for observation. So until then, he will not have any meetings,” the palace comptroller Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin told Reuters.
Anwar was scheduled to meet the king on Tuesday, but the appointment had to be canceled because the king was unwell and had to be transferred to a hospital.
No major political party has come out in support, but the leader of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the largest party in the ruling coalition, said there were defections to Anwar camp.
READ: ‘Focus on us,’ Sabah voters say about upcoming state elections as Anwar’s assertion of parliamentary majority shakes political scene
Commentary: Sabah’s state elections ignite new Game of Thrones nudges in Malaysian politics
In a campaign speech in the state of Sabah, Prime Minister Muhyiddin again questioned Anwar’s claim that he has the majority, the state news agency Bernama reported.
“He made a statement and when asked about the number of people who supported him and who had given their legal statement of support, he simply said to wait for the answer,” Muhyiddin said.
