Malaysian parliament to vote on new PM amid crisis

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s parliament will vote Monday on the country’s next prime minister in a bid to end a political crisis, but if no candidate has enough support there will be a snap election, Mahathir Mohamad said. It was the latest twist in a drama triggered when Mahathir quit as premier and the government collapsed following a failed attempt to form a new ruling coalition without his designated successor, Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar and Mahathir, at 94 the world’s oldest leader, are now locked in a power struggle, reviving a rivalry that has loomed over politics in the Southeast Asian nation for two decades. The king appoints the prime minister and had interviewed the country´s MPs to work out who they backed, but Mahathir said no candidate with enough support emerged. A candidate must have the backing of at least 112 MPs to become premier. The king “says that the right forum will be parliament,” said Mahathir on Thursday, following a morning meeting with the monarch. He added the legislature would sit on Monday to determine who has sufficient backing to become premier. “However if the (parliament) fails to find a person with a majority, then we will have to go for a snap election,” added Mahathir, who was appointed interim leader following his resignation. Mahathir initially appeared to have strong support to remain as premier and had announced he wanted to form a government of national unity, and was willing to return as leader.