Malaysia’s PM Mahathir Mohamad resigns amid political turmoil

Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has resigned amid a day of political drama, prompting the collapse of the ruling alliance and uncertainty over the future leadership of the country.

His resignation, delivered to the king on Monday afternoon, follows accusations that the 94-year-old leader betrayed a promise to hand over power to the country’s would-be prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar was promised that he would succeed Mahathir when the rivals partnered in an unlikely alliance that won power less than two years ago.

The situation remains fluid, and it is unclear if Mahathir intends to stand down or hopes to form a new government. Malaysians could also be asked to go to the polls if the king decides to dissolve parliament for snap elections.

It appears unlikely that Anwar will be in a position to form a government. On Monday afternoon, Mahathir’s Bersatu party announced it would leave the ruling alliance and support him as leader. Shortly afterwards, in another surprising announcement, Bersatu said it had also received a letter from Mahathir resigning as party chairman. Eleven other lawmakers, including several cabinet ministers, announced they would quit Anwar’s party.

Bridget Welsh, honorary research fellow with the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute, said the ruling alliance, Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), no longer had the numbers to form a government. “The only way that it can form a new government is if it gets new allies. Those new allies at this point seem to be with Mahathir,” Welsh said.

Mahathir’s resignation follows reports that politicians from the ruling coalition held talks on Sunday at a hotel near Kuala Lumpur about a possible new alliance with members of the ousted former ruling party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno).

Anwar had accused Mahathir ’s party and “traitors” in his own camp of plotting a change in the ruling coalition that would exclude him from taking power.

“We know there are attempts to bring down PH and form a new government,” Anwar said, referring to the Pakatan Harapan coalition that he helped form under Mahathir.

Anwar had said of the alleged plotters: “It involves our former friends in Bersatu and a small faction of traitors from PKR.” Anwar’s PKR party is the biggest constituent of the current alliance, but is beset by internal divisions.

Mahathir said in recent months that he needed more time for a planned transition, for which he has never set a date.

Forming a new coalition could allow Mahathir to serve out a full term instead of handing over to Anwar as promised. Mahathir may also be giving way to somebody else, Welsh said.

Anwar served as deputy prime minister and finance minister during Mahathir’s first 22-year stint in office under Umno, but was sacked in 1998 after falling out over how to defend the economy against the Asian financial crisis. Anwar was jailed twice on sodomy charges that he said were politically motivated.

He was released on a royal pardon after the 2018 election. He is a member of parliament but does not hold a ministerial post. His wife is the country’s deputy prime minister.