Malaysia’s PM gets reprieve from key ally in political crisis

The largest party in Malaysia's ruling coalition has declared its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, providing some respite for the premier as he faces calls to resign after a failed bid to impose an emergency to tackle the coronavirus. The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party, which had this month threatened to withdraw support for Muhyiddin, said it would now back him as the time had come for reconciliation to ensure stability and to focus on managing the pandemic. UMNO also said it would not work with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's party, rejecting a proposal to do so from a former premier, and now-ruling party lawmaker, Najib Razak.