MALAYSIA: Positive optics for unity pact, but deal is vulnerable
New prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob struck a deal on Monday, 13 September, with the opposition Alliance of Hope (Pakatan Harapan, or PH) coalition to push forward with electoral reforms. In exchange, Pakatan agreed not to table a confidence vote until August 2022 or oppose next year’s budget. On the face of it, the agreement […]
MALAYSIA: Is five decades of politics over?
The political dynamics that had kept Malaysian politics stable since the 1970s have been unravelling gradually over the past decade. The return of a United Malays National Organization (UMNO) politician to the prime ministership is not an automatic signal that the trend is reversing. Politics is searching for a new equilibrium, with potential consequences for […]
MALAYSIA: Some near-term political peace with a new PM, but not much more
Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) appears set to become the country’s next prime minister. He has the support of 114 (out of 220) members of parliament that until before the political crisis had constituted former prime minister Muyhiddin Yassin’s National Alliance (PN). The king will meet with […]
MALAYSIA: The walls are closing in on the prime minister
King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has asked Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to bring forward a parliamentary vote of confidence. The monarch reportedly made the request during a meeting this morning, 11 August, with Yassin, and it was discussed early this evening by leaders of the prime minister’s National Alliance (PN). Last week, Yassin had […]
MALAYSIA: Confidence vote is not a straight line to a political solution
To de-escalate the current political crisis, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced yesterday that he would seek a confidence vote next month when parliament resumes session. According to the prime minister, the monarch has given his assent. Yassin did not announce a specific date, but legislators are scheduled to sit from 6-30 September. If his plan […]
MALAYSIA: How much longer can Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin hold on?
A rare public rebuke from the monarch on 29 July has further weakened Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and significantly raised the probability that he will be forced to resign. However, with parliamentary and party politics at a practical standstill, when and how Muhyiddin could depart from office remains unclear. Yassin is becoming more politically untenable […]
MALAYSIA: Parliament reconvenes 26 July, but watch UMNO
The most important near-term factor in Malaysian politics is UMNO’s willingness to cut ties with the majority. Public health conditions make it difficult to hold an election before Q4, which may cause UMNO to hesitate to pull the trigger. However, there are anecdotal signs that public discontent with the prime minister is rising, which may […]
MALAYSIA: Pressure is building on the PM
Following the 16 June statement from the king for parliament to reconvene “as soon as possible,” the pressure on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to recall MPs for a parliamentary sitting continues to increase. Yassin has proposed September or October for their return, after the lifting on 1 August of the state of emergency, but a […]
MALAYSIA: With politics in dire straits, sultans could swing sentiments
The sultans who head Malaysia’s nine royal households — collectively known as the monarchy — will meet on 16 June to discuss the country’s top political issues: the vaccine rollout, the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, and the end of the country’s state of emergency. The meeting is described as an emergency session, not a […]
MALAYSIA: Important weeks ahead for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin defended his government’s decision not to reimpose the strictest version of business and movement restrictions, called movement control orders (MCO) 1.0, despite the rising Covid-19 case numbers and some pressure from the healthcare sector for such a move. Malaysia now has the worst infection trend in Southeast Asia, […]