Malaysia's former DPM Ismail a step closer to top post

Malaysia's former deputy premier Ismail Sabri Yaakob moved a step closer yesterday towards becoming the country's next prime minister, after gaining a parliamentary majority.

A total of 114 MPs in the 220-seat Parliament affirmed their support for him in front of the King, ahead of a special meeting of the Council of Rulers today that will deliberate the matter.

If Datuk Seri Ismail is appointed, this would herald the return of Umno to the country's top post, just three years after the party lost the general election in May 2018 over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad financial scandal. Mr Ismail is one of the three vice-presidents of Umno.

The appointee will be Malaysia's ninth prime minister, and the country's third premier in just over three years, after the fall of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as premier in May 2018, and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in March last year, after the collapse of the Mahathir government.

Caretaker Prime Minister Muhyiddin, who is also chairman of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance, said the pact unanimously supported Mr Ismail to ensure the continuity of government policies in "battling Covid-19 and healing the nation" until a general election can be held.

But the support was given on the condition that the new Cabinet does not include MPs facing criminal charges, Mr Muhyiddin said.

"If appointed as prime minister by the King, he must ensure that his Cabinet members only comprise those who possess integrity, are trustworthy and free from any criminal charges in court," Mr Muhyiddin said in a statement yesterday.

Several Umno leaders, including president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former premier Najib Razak, are facing dozens of corruption charges.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan told reporters outside the palace that the 114 MPs met the King for one to two minutes each.

They were asked to state their name and constituency, and to affirm that their support for Mr Ismail was made "voluntarily without duress".

Meanwhile, the opposition said it had not received an invitation for an audience with the King.

All parties who were in the PN government have backed Mr Ismail, except veteran Umno MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was a possible candidate for the premiership until Umno decided to back Mr Ismail, 61.

The 114 votes obtained by Mr Ismail mean that rival contender, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition, has failed to obtain enough support to become the next prime minister.

The King decreed on Wednesday that the MP chosen to succeed Mr Muhyiddin would still need to pass a confidence vote in Parliament to assert his legitimacy.

After losing his majority with the withdrawal of 15 Umno MPs from PN earlier this month, Mr Muhyiddin pledged to allow a motion of confidence in the next parliamentary session and offered a raft of reforms to the opposition last week in order to secure votes.

But he was forced to resign on Monday after the opposition rejected his offer.

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