Malaysian PM resigns
Palace says Muhyiddin would serve as caretaker PM until a new one found
Malaysia's Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down as prime minister yesterday after months of political turmoil culminated in the loss of his majority, but his resignation is likely to open another chapter of instability in the absence of any obvious successor.
Muhyiddin's resignation ends a tumultuous 17 months in office, the shortest stint of a Malaysian leader, but hampers efforts to reboot a pandemic-stricken economy and curb a resurgence of Covid-19 infections.
The Southeast Asian nation's king appointed Muhyiddin as the caretaker prime minister until a new one is found, but did not set a timeline.
King Al-Sultan Abdullah ruled out elections because of the pandemic, saying he would invoke his constitutional power to appoint a prime minister he believes is likely to command a majority.
Malaysia's ringgit currency fell to a one-year low on the news and the stock market slipped.
Muhyiddin said he resigned along with his cabinet after losing majority support in parliament. As caretaker, he added, he will have no cabinet, but will perform executive functions and advise the king until a new prime minister is appointed.
"I hope a new government can be formed immediately so that the administration of this country is not disrupted," he said in a televised speech.