Malaysia's opposition submits no-confidence motion against embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak
Notice for the vote will unlikely to succeed but will add pressure on the embattled leader
Malaysia's opposition has submitted a notice for a no-confidence vote against embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak, as he faces increasing calls to answer a barrage of corruption allegations.
Critics want Najib to explain massive sums allegedly missing from state-owned development company 1MDB, which he launched, and nearly US$700 million in mysterious transfers to his personal bank accounts.
While the motion is unlikely to succeed as Najib's party holds a majority in parliament, it adds to pressure on the embattled prime minister as he fights for his political life over the scandal.
"The people of Malaysia can no longer trust the prime minister," read the notice filed by opposition lawmaker Hee Loy Sian.
The 1MDB affair has deeply tarnished Najib just as his United Malays National Organisation (Umno), a political party that has controlled the country for nearly six decades, faces sliding support.
On Thursday, a senior high-level Umno official jumped ship to the opposition camp, and several other heavyweights have also joined former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to demand that Najib answer corruption charges.