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Malaysia
AsiaSoutheast Asia

Malaysia’s Umno threatens to pull out of ruling coalition, adding pressure on Muhyiddin

  • In the latest twist in Malaysia’s political drama, the United Malays National Organisation wants better terms to stay in Muhyiddin Yassin’s government
  • Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will have an audience with the king, a day after Anwar Ibrahim met the monarch in his bid to become PM

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Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin formed a 12-party coalition with a majority of only a few votes in March, prompting constant speculation about the potential collapse of the government. Photo: DPA
Bloomberg
The largest party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition has threatened to pull out unless it gets better terms, adding pressure on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to shore up his unstable government or call a snap election.
The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which holds about a third of the seats in Muhyiddin’s 12-party government, said in a statement late on Tuesday that it would enter talks with him to stay in the bloc. It also suggested formalising an alliance with the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, which would unify the largest Malay-Muslim political organisations.

Separately, Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama cited a top party official saying Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is expected to have an audience with the king at 5pm on Thursday.

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The moves add another twist to Malaysia’s political drama, which has seen various factions jockey for power after former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad abruptly resigned in February. Muhyiddin emerged in March as the head of an unwieldy bloc with a majority of only a few votes, prompting constant speculation about the potential collapse of the government.

Umno, which has only been in the opposition for about two years since Malaysia’s independence in 1957, has emerged as a key power broker in the latest negotiations. Some of its members had threatened to join a new coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim, who claimed on Tuesday to present a “convincing majority” of more than 120 lawmakers in a meeting with the king.

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