Prime minister's move follows a weekend of political turmoil amid bid by his party to form new government without Anwar.
Malaysia's Prime Minister has also reportedly resigned from his party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia [File: Lim Huey Teng [Reuters]
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has announced his resignation but was asked to stay on as interim leader by the country's monarch.
Mahathir said in a two-line statement that he had informed the country's king of his resignation at 1pm Kuala Lumpur time (05:00 GMT) on Monday.
Mahathir also reportedly resigned from his own party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, according to Reuters news agency, citing three sources. Mahathir's party also announced that it was quitting the ruling government coalition, Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), casting doubt on the future of the partnership.
Mahathir's decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
The king accepted Mahathir's resignation after meeting with him later on Monday, Chief Secretary Mohd Zuki Ali said in a statement.
"However, His Highness has given his assent to appoint Mahathir Mohamad as interim prime minister, while waiting for the appointment of the new prime minister. Hence until then, (Mahathir) will manage the country's affairs until a new prime minister and cabinet are appointed," Mohd Zuki said.
Anwar also said that Mahathir has no plans to join with anyone from the previous ruling coalition he defeated to try to form a new government.
When asked if Mahathir was responsible for the current political turmoil, Anwar blamed "those within my party and outside using his name."
"And he [Mahathir] reiterated what he had said to me earlier, he played no part in it. He made it very clear, that in no way would he work with those associated with the previous regime."
Full story at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/malaysia-mahathir-turns-resignation-reports-200224054737676.html
PM Muhyiddin announces new Cabinet and new structure full list)
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced his new Cabinet and a new structure, with plum roles for party leaders in the Perikatan Nasional coalition and their allies.
Discarding the conventional role of a deputy prime minister, he instead appointed four senior ministers who will coordinate the ministerial portfolios.
The four Senior Ministers are former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali (International Trade and Industry), Umno vice president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Defence), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Works) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia supreme council member Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin (Education).
Azmin's deputy will be MCA's Datuk Lim Ban Hong (who will be made a senator), while Ismail will have Datuk Seri Ikhmal Hisham Abdul Aziz, Fadillah's deputy is Datuk Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh and Radzi will have two deputies Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon (who will be made a senator) and Muslimin Yahaya.
The rest of the Cabinet is as follows:
Prime Minister's Department:
Economy: Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy: Arthur Joseph Kurup
Special Affairs: Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof
Deputy: Mastura Yazid
Parliament and Laws: Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan
Deputy: Datuk Eddin Syazlee Shith
Religious Affairs: Datuk Seri Dr Hj Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (to be made a senator)
Deputy: Ahmad Marzuk Shaary
Sabah and Sarawak Affairs: Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili
Deputy: Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib
Finance Ministry:
Minister: Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (to be made a senator)
Deputy I: YB Datuk Abd Rahim Bakeri
Deputy II: Mohd Shahar Abdullah Menteri
Transport Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong
Deputy: Hasbi Habibollah
Environment Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man
Deputy: Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad (to be made a senator)
Human Resources Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri M. Saravanan
Deputy: Haji Awang Hashim
Federal Territories Ministry:
Minister: Tan Sri Annuar Musa
Deputy: Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar
Women and Family Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Rina Harun
Deputy: Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff
Higher Education Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad
Deputy: Datuk Dr Mansor Othman
Energy and Natural Resources Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah
Deputy: Ali Anak Biju
Home Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin
Deputy I: Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said
Deputy II: Jonathan Yassin
Health Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba
Deputy I: Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali
Deputy II: Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang
Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee
Deputy I: Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah
Deputy II: Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi
Rural Development Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad
Deputy I: Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad
Deputy II: Datuk Henry Sum Agong
Foreign Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputy: Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi
Deputy: Datuk Rosol Wahid
Communications and Multimedia Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah
Deputy: Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin
Housing and Local Government Ministry:
Minister: Zuraida Kamaruddin
Deputy: Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Mutalib
Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry:
Minister: Khairy Jamaluddin
Deputy: Ahmad Amzad Hashim
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry
Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
Deputy: Datuk Wira Mas Ermieyati Samsudin
Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry:
Minister: Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali
Deputy I: Datuk Sri Dr Wee Jeck Seng
Deputy II: Willie Mongin
Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri
Deputy: Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan
National Unity Ministry:
Minister: Halimah Mohamed Sadique
Deputy: Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing
Youth and Sports Ministry:
Minister: Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican
Deputy: Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (to be made a senator)
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/09/pm-muhyiddin-announces-new-cabinet-and-new-structure
Did pinky offers his congratulations too soon when the infighting has yet to fully cease?
[BREAKING!] The rule of law no longer applies. Loser wins right to form the government. Winner loses the right to form government.". - Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad @chedetofficial
Mukhriz, Syed Saddiq to face disciplinary action; Dr M no longer Bersatu chair
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman will likely be facing Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's (Bersatu) disciplinary committee, says its supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof.
Redzuan said the party had its rules and would follow the required processes.
“For Syed Saddiq, it looks like the position will be made vacant.
"For the youth chief’s position, it will be selected through a party election but he (Syed Saddiq) can still act on those duties on the president’s orders.
“Before a party election, all positions will be based on the appointment of the president, ” he said during a press conference outside of party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s house.
Redzuan also said that he would propose Muzzammil Ismail, the party's exco member, to take over as its youth chief as he has “huge potential”.
“I will propose to the president for him to take over the acting role of the Bersatu youth chief if Syed Saddiq has been found to have violated the party’s discipline," he said.
Redzuan also noted that its secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahaya would also perhaps be replaced for violating party discipline.
He added that as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed had resigned as the party’s chairman, thus, under the party’s constitution, he needed to be re-elected according to the party’s election process.
“There is no issue that Dr Mahathir is the party’s chairman because he has resigned.
“In the (party’s) constitution, a person who has quit or is dismissed can come back to nominate themselves according to the party’s election process.
“Whatever announcement made by the secretary-general is against the party, and I advise the secretary-general to stop issuing statements that could confuse party members including the public.
“We do not want to play politics anymore. We want to build the country, ” he said.
Redzuan added that there were only three Bersatu members that were against Muhyiddin.
He said they were Dr Mahathir, Syed Saddiq and Mukhriz.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/01/mukhriz-syed-saddiq-to-face-disciplinary-action-dr-m-no-longer-bersatu-chair
Muhyiddin Yassin sworn in as Malaysian Prime Minister:
This summarizes M'sia's fate from now onward.
[Game over for Dr M and Anwar] Muhyiddin to be sworn in as Malaysia’s PM tomorrow
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be sworn in as prime minister tomorrow morning at 10.30am, the Istana Negara announced today.
The Istana Negara statement — regarding Muhyiddin’s swearing-in ceremony — was released at around 4.30pm today.
The Istana Negara said that this was after it received today nomination lists of candidates for the prime minister post from independent MPs as well as the leaders of political parties that had MPs in the Dewan Rakyat, adding that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was of the view that Muhyiddin had the majority support following the representations received.
More at https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/02/29/istana-negara-muhyiddin-to-be-sworn-in-as-malaysias-pm-tomorrow/1842196
Malaysian Attorney-General Tommy Thomas has resigned!!!!!
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysian-attorney-general-tommy-thomas-resigns-reports-12482236
Harapan backs Anwar as PM?
There are indications that all Pakatan Harapan MPs are declaring their support for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister in their interviews with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
It is unclear if Harapan has backtracked on its initial decision to support Mahathir or if a deal has been brokered with the interim prime minister.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a PKR senior leader told Malaysiakini that the party had fully backed Anwar.
Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub confirmed his party's lawmakers also voiced support for Anwar to the King.
DAP is likely to do the same, with a source saying they would “support the formation of a Harapan government.”
There are multiple versions of how this could possibly unravel.
PKR, Amanah and DAP together have 92 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, which is not enough to form a simple majority of 112.
A source told Malaysiakini that Anwar is not too far off from the target of securing a simple majority. This reportedly includes the possibility of bringing back some of the 11 PKR defectors.
An alternative is that Harapan can form a minority government.
However, Mahathir may still be involved in a possible new government.
Harapan's former allies Bersatu, who have 25 MPs not including Mahathir and the 11 MPs aligned to Azmin Ali have said they will be backing the interim prime minister.
GPS and their 18 MPs also backed Mahathir., It is not clear who Warisan will back, but its president Shafie Apdal had previously said early in the crisis that his MPs back Mahathir.
A Bersatu source indicated that there was deal being floated that Mahathir would stay on as prime minister until November, with Anwar as deputy prime minister.
In exchange when Anwar becomes prime minister, Mahathir's son Mukhriz would take over the number two post.
More at https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/512283
Mad Hatter returned to work today as Interim PM alone with completely empty cabinet sia!
Dr Mahathir is the only one from the Pakatan Harapan administration who is left after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong cancelled the appointments of all Cabinet members.
Aside from ministers, the duties of other members of the administration, including the deputy prime minister, deputy ministers and political secretaries, ceased, effective Monday.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/interim-premier-dr-mahathir-back-at-work-in-perdana-putra
Lots of folks still want Mahathir to be PM leh