Malaysia is currently experiencing a new surge in cases, with the capital area and surrounding Selangor state going into a two-week partial lockdown starting on Wednesday.

Both the king and Anwar’s remarks, following the highly-anticipated tête-à-tête, effectively rules out the likelihood that a change of government will take place imminently.

“I would appeal to Malaysians to exercise patience and wisdom and to allow the king to decide based on the constitution and the discretion of His Highness,” Anwar said in a press conference after the meeting.

But nonetheless, the 73-year-old opposition leader reiterated he had garnered “convincing support” in parliament, and that Muhyiddin’s six-month administration had collapsed on account of the defections.

Anwar’s plot to oust Malaysia PM: Mahathir doubts it, Najib mocks it

Anwar said he had “extended an olive branch” to the prime minister through emissaries. In the 15-minute press conference, Anwar repeatedly said any decision about a power transition ultimately lay in the hands of the king, given his constitutional prerogative powers.

The monarch will next consult other party leaders, Anwar said, though this was not mentioned in the royal statement. Instead, it said the National Palace would begin observing a partial lockdown in accordance with restrictions that come into force in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Muhyiddin, speaking to the media hours after Anwar, declined to weigh in on the opposition leader’s latest move.

“As far as I am concerned, I leave it to the best judgment of the [king] ... my interest now is in managing Covid-19 and of course, in managing the economy,” he said in a press conference held via videoconferencing.

Why Muhyiddin’s government and Malaysia’s fragile status quo can’t last

Anwar’s audience with the king came three weeks after he stunned the country with a public declaration that he had obtained majority parliamentary support to oust Muhyiddin.

The Pakatan Harapan grouping, comprising Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the Democratic Action Party and Parti Amanah Rakyat, controls 91 seats – 21 short of a simple majority.

Mahathir, who left Pakatan Harapan shortly after he was ousted over disagreements with Anwar, controls five seats under his new party, Pejuang. In a short statement on Tuesday evening, the 95-year-old ruled out support for Anwar, saying Pejuang would stay independent and would not offer its backing to any coalition.

Sultan Abdullah, whose assent is constitutionally required for any transition of power, was unable to meet Anwar at the time of his announcement on September 23 as he had been convalescing after falling ill.

Upon the monarch’s discharge from hospital, Anwar last week announced the meeting was scheduled for Tuesday.

Elsewhere, some Umno MPs over the weekend filed police reports alleging mischief on the part of Anwar’s camp in linking them to the bid to oust Muhyiddin.

Scepticism has been rife over Anwar’s plan, with many online comparing it to his claim in 2008 that he had a majority to topple then-Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The move later fell flat as members of Umno – the main political force in the country from 1957 to 2018 – failed to defect.

Wong Chin-Huat, a local political commentator, suggested the king’s decision to meet the various party leaders meant there would be an end to “pick-and-mix shopping of individual MPs”.

“Unless some parties of PM Muhyiddin’s coalition government officially pull out, or some of their MPs openly leave their parties to join Anwar or another contender, PM Muhyiddin is safe for now,” Wong wrote in a Facebook note shortly after Anwar’s press conference.