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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s national palace postponed hearings with the king for allies of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, senior opposition leaders said on Wednesday, amid a new fight for the country’s prime minister.
Anwar met with King Al-Sultan Abdullah on Tuesday to demonstrate that he has a “compelling” parliamentary majority to form a new government, sparking a new outbreak of political disputes just months after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin took office. .
In a statement, top leaders of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Amanah said they had initially been summoned for separate hearings with the king.
“However, last night Her Majesty’s high-ranking private secretary informed us that both sessions with His Majesty have been postponed,” the statement read, signed by DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng and Amanah President , Mohamad Sabu.
They did not say if any new dates had been set.
At a press conference on Monday, Anwar said he had presented documents to the king to show he had the support of more than 120 lawmakers in the 222-seat parliament.
But the palace later said in a statement that Anwar had presented the number of lawmakers he said supported him, but not the identities of his supporters.
The king plays a largely ceremonial role, but can appoint a prime minister who, in his opinion, probably has the majority. New governments are generally elected in Malaysia, but the king plays a role in certain cases.
Earlier this year, at the height of political disputes that led to the collapse of Mahathir Mohamad’s administration, the king appointed Muhyiddin as prime minister after meeting with all members of parliament to find out who they supported.
Critics say Muhyiddin, who has survived with a two-seat parliamentary majority, had stolen power by trading alliances rather than winning it at the polls.
(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Michael Perry)
