Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim set to meet king in bid to replace Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

Should Anwar succeed in securing the post, it would be the culmination of a 22-year quest, during which he spent nearly 10 years in jail

The power struggle comes as the country, already grappling with an economy battered by the coronavirus, faces a renewed surge in infections

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Anwar Ibrahim claims he has secured a “formidable” majority from federal lawmakers to form a new government. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:23am, 13 Oct 2020Updated: 12:59am, 18 Dec 2020

Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is set to meet the king on Tuesday to prove he had parliamentary support needed to replace Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Anwar added a fresh twist to the Southeast Asian nation’s political drama last month after he declared that he had secured a “formidable” majority from federal lawmakers to form a new government.

The power struggle comes as the country, already grappling with an economy battered by the coronavirus, faces a renewed surge in infections.

Should Anwar succeed in securing the post, it would be the culmination of a 22-year long quest, during which he spent nearly 10 years in jail. It would also mean Malaysia would have its third prime minister this year.

But scepticism over Anwar’s claim remains as no major party has offered a clear declaration of support. One party, which is a member of the ruling coalition, has said some of its lawmakers supported Anwar.