Anwar Ibrahim makes his bid to become Malaysia’s new PM

The opposition leader met with the king to present his case and hand over documents relating to his claim for prime ministership.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has been waiting in the wings for long to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia, was finally able to meet with the king to stake his claim and prove that he has the required majority. On Tuesday morning, Anwar handed over the documents concerned during a one-hour long meeting after which he met the press. He said that he had submitted evidence of his “formidable, convincing majority among parliamentarians”, saying he has the support of 120 out of 222 lawmakers.

This is the first time has revealed exact numbers since he announced his securing of a majority last month. He had attempted to secure a meeting with the king earlier but it was postponed due to the monarch’s ill health. The king will now consider the claim after meeting with party leaders. Should Anwar succeed, he will be the third prime minister the country will have seen just this year.

But should he fail, his credibility might be seriously affected. Since a statutory declaration of support by MPs is not legally binding, the actual numbers may be different on different days. That is why many doubt Anwar’s claims of a majority made several days ago. No major party has declared their support for his candidature. One party in the ruling coalition said that some of its members support him.

Malaysia had plunged into political instability in February this year when prime minister Mahathir Mohamad suddenly resigned. While he had intended to hand over power to deputy PM Anwar, the king, having a meeting with the MPs, named Muhyiddin Yassin as the PM in March. The 73-year-old Anwar, who started out a student activist in the 70s, has come close to securing the top job several times during his tempestuous political career, which includes nearly a decade in prison. 

It is unclear whether the king will recommend a fresh round of elections on the basis of Anwar’s claims, undermining his own prime ministerial choice. Muhyiddin, who is currently in quarantine, has been criticised for not earning his post through the democratic process. While his coalition won the recent polls in Sabah state, the campaigning is also being blamed for the recent in coronavirus cases. It is this fresh wave of the pandemic, in addition to a battered economy, that the incoming prime minister will be tasked with setting right.