Malaysia’s King Requests Party Leaders To Name PM By Monday

Malaysian election produced the country’s first-ever hung parliament.

Anisah Shukry

20 Nov 2022, 12:32 PM IST

Voters stand in line at a polling station during a general election in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Malaysian voters began casting their ballots Saturday in an election where no one coalition is expected to clinch a parliamentary majority, prolonging instability in a country that has seen three governments in four years.

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysian party leaders have until 2 p.m. Monday to inform the nation’s monarch their choice of prime minister and coalition, after Saturday’s election produced the country’s first-ever hung parliament.

The king’s decision on the new government and appointment of the prime minister will be final, the national palace said in a statement Sunday.

Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan coalition got the most parliamentary seats -- 82 of 220 -- in Saturday’s vote, with former premier Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional not far behind at 73. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Barisan Nasional had 30, as a gamble to hold early elections failed.

READ: Malaysia Latest: Muhyiddin Meets Parties on Forming Government

A coalition needs 111 seats to form a majority, while by-elections will be held for two constituencies later. In early morning press conferences, Anwar said he has enough support from other allies to cross the threshold, while Muhyiddin said he will be speaking to parties in Borneo to get there.

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