Malaysia waits for clarity as Mahathir returns to work amid political tumult

Rivalry between Mahathir Mohamad and his nominal successor Anwar Ibrahim as well as lack of cohesion among parties caused coalition to unravel

‘The country has never experienced such a vacuum,’ one political scientist said following prime minister’s shock resignation

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Mahathir Mohamad at his office in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Twitter

Published: 1:27pm, 25 Feb 2020Updated: 2:56pm, 25 Feb 2020

Malaysia on Tuesday woke up in uncharted territory with a caretaker prime minister and no cabinet, leaving the country and foreign investors searching for answers about what might happen next.

Political infighting within the ruling coalition led to Mahathir Mohamad’s shock resignation on Monday. As a result, investors exited the market and the benchmark stock index Bursa Malaysia dropped to its lowest level in eight years before recovering slightly on Tuesday.

Mahathir, 94, was on Monday night appointed interim prime minister by the king but Mohamad Zuki Ali, the chief secretary to the government, confirmed office-holders would no longer be in their positions, prompting several to send out farewell notices.

Shad Saleem Faruqi, the country’s foremost constitutional law expert, said the dissolution of the cabinet was automatic upon the prime minister’s resignation under the constitutional convention of collective responsibility. Attorney general Tommy Thomas said the office of the interim PM was not constrained by any time frame and Mahathir could choose whether to appoint a new cabinet.

“The country has never experienced such a vacuum,” political scientist Chandra Muzaffar said, adding that Malaysia had a good track record of upholding constitutional norms and the democratic process.

“My fear is that if something goes wrong, that may invite other hostile forces and the situation may become even more unstable … but I don’t see that happening.”

In neighbouring Indonesia, instability following the overthrow of Suharto in 1998 culminated in civil strife, looting and arson, resulting in about 1,200 casualties but Chandra saw little risk of Malaysia descending into deadly violence.