[Oasis]

Who is Malaysia’s King and why is he picking the prime minister?

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian King Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is in the spotlight as he mulls his choice on who will be the country’s next prime minister, after an election left no party with a majority in parliament and coalition talks failed.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah on Tuesday said he would “soon” decide between opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after neither politician was able to gain enough support to form a coalition following Saturday’s elections.

IS IT ALWAYS THE KING’S CHOICE?

No. Elections normally determine who will be prime minister in Malaysia under a parliamentary system.

But the constitution does give him the power to appoint a prime minister that he believes can command a majority among the lawmakers.

Malaysia’s kings have rarely used that power, but political instability in the last two years has prompted the monarch to pick a premier.

The monarchy has played a more influential role since 2020 amid the decline of the once-dominant Barisan Nasional alliance and its leading party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Barisan had led every government since independence from British colonial rule in 1957 up until its electoral defeat in 2018. It was voted out after a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB.

HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?

Yes. His Majesty has appointed two previous prime ministers, though this is the first time it has happened after an election failed to produce a clear winner.

The king appointed Muhyiddin prime minister in February 2020 when then-premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned due to coalition infighting.

His Majesty took the unusual step of meeting with all of the country’s 222 lawmakers after Mahathir’s resignation to determine who had a majority to form a new government, eventually picking former Mahathir ally Muhyiddin Yassin.

Less than a year later, after Muhyiddin’s own coalition fell apart, the king asked lawmakers to submit a letter each on who they backed as PM and decided to appoint the next premier – Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was in power until the recent election.

DAP chairman, Lim Guan Eng has finally to be in government ministry.

DAP chairman, Lim Guan Eng has finally to be in government ministry.

Will he ask donations to support govt financial again?