King can set up governing council if no MP has majority support: Experts

PETALING JAYA • Malaysia's King could proclaim a state of emergency and set up a National Operations Council (NOC) if there is no MP who can prove he has majority support in the Lower House of Parliament, said the National Council of Professors (NCP).

This comes as Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah set a 4pm deadline today for Malaysia's 220 MPs to declare their choice to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The NOC will function as a caretaker government to resolve the nation's current health, economic and political crises.

NCP president Raduan Che Rose said the NOC would be a temporary measure to ensure the smooth running of the country before the next general election can be safely held.

"The resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin as prime minister was done based on the federal Constitution. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has to appoint a new prime minister, one who can garner majority support of Parliament to lead the nation until GE15," said Professor Raduan in a statement yesterday, referring to the King and the next general election.

"If not even one MP has majority support, we are confident that the King will use his wisdom to find a way out as the current situation is not a suitable time to hold GE15.

"In that situation, the NCP is confident that the King could proclaim a state of emergency and form an NOC, which could be chaired by an individual consented to by His Majesty."

Prof Raduan added that it would be best if a person appointed to the NOC is someone who has wide governing experience, is accepted by all parties and also "does not have any ambitions to become the prime minister" beyond the next general election, which has to be called by July 2023.

"This is a temporary measure before it is suitable for GE15 to be held," he said.

Mr Muhyiddin resigned on Monday with no obvious successor, deepening a long-running political crisis as the South-east Asian nation battles a Covid-19 surge and an economic slump.

He cited lack of parliamentary support but will stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK