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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The largest party in Malaysia’s ruling alliance on Wednesday pledged its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, a boost for the prime minister facing a leadership challenge.
The United Malaysia National Organization (UMNO) also called for a “political ceasefire” amid a surge in coronavirus cases, just a week after saying it was considering withdrawing support for the Muhyiddin government.
The move provides a temporary respite for Muhyiddin following opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s assertion that he has the parliamentary majority to form a new government with the help of defectors from the ruling pact.
Muhyiddin’s coalition has not been elected, but took power in March after the unexpected resignation of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad. He formed a new alliance with parties that were defeated in the 2018 elections.
In a statement, UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party had agreed to support the Muhyiddin government and its efforts to combat the virus and strengthen an economy hit by the pandemic.
“The cooperation of all parts of the government … must be strengthened to ensure political stability at a time when the country faces the threat of COVID-19 and economic uncertainty,” he said.
Last month, UMNO said that some party lawmakers supported Anwar’s candidacy for prime minister.
Anwar met with the Malaysian king last week to show that he has majority support from lawmakers, but other meetings scheduled by the palace to verify his claim have been postponed due to movement restrictions to control the spread of the virus. The king has also asked politicians not to drag the country through political uncertainty.
Muhyiddin has been in talks for a possible cabinet shakeup to give UMNO officials more prominent roles, sources told Reuters. Some UMNO leaders have refused to be a second fiddle for Muhyiddin’s smaller Bersatu party in the ruling alliance, coalition sources said.
Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said that UMNO’s call for a ceasefire helped secure Muhyiddin’s position for now, but the political situation remains fluid.
“The undercurrents of the power struggle between the two main component parties of the ruling coalition continue to flow strongly, albeit under the guise of timely civility,” Oh said.
(Report by Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi; edited by Angus MacSwan)
