The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin has resigned after months of political turmoil.
Muhyiddin tendered his resignation to the King after he held a special meeting with his cabinet. This came after months of political instability that made him lose his majority in parliament. Also, his resignation hampers efforts to revive a pandemic-stricken economy and halt the resurgence of COVID-19 infections.
In a televised address, he said that he had submitted his resignation to the king because he could not maintain the confidence of a majority of lawmakers.
The King of Malaysia has appointed Muhyiddin as the interim Prime Minister till a new premier can be found but has not given a timeline.
King Al-Sultan Abdullah cancelled elections because of the pandemic and revealed he would invoke his constitutional power to appoint a prime minister that can command a majority.
A statement released after Muhyiddin’s resignation read: “The king has received the resignation letter of Muhyiddin Yassin and the entire cabinet effective immediately.
“Following the resignation, the king is pleased for Muhyiddin to fill the role as caretaker prime minister until a new prime minister is appointed.”
