Malaysia's opposition is preparing for early elections after a crucial vote in the lower house this week showed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin may lack a parliamentary majority, said Mohd Shafie Apdal, a potential rival for the premiership.
Muhyiddin on Monday succeeded in his bid to replace the speaker of parliament's lower house by a margin of two votes. But he fell one vote short of a simple majority with only half of the 222 lawmakers in the house voting for his motion.
"It is not even a simple majority. It is clear that it is a hung parliament," Mohd Shafie told a group of reporters on Tuesday.
"Elections are not far away, it's just around the corner," he said, anticipating Malaysia would hold a national election well before it falls due in 2023.
He said the tabling and parliamentary vote on the 2021 budget in November would be another crucial test for the government.
Southeast Asia's third-largest economy has been grappling with political uncertainty since Muhyiddin was unexpectedly made prime minister in March by forging an alliance with the graft-tainted UMNO party that was defeated in a 2018 election.
The opposition, which now includes his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, has accused Muhyiddin of grabbing power by shifting allegiances instead of earning it at the ballot box, and has vowed to oust him.
However, the opposition has been fighting over who should be their prime ministerial candidate. Ninety-five-year-old Mahathir and his ally-turned-foe Anwar Ibrahim have both declared their intentions to be the bloc's candidate, but Mahathir later threw his support behind Mohd Shafie.
A long-time UMNO stalwart, Shafie was suspended from the party in 2016 for questioning the then-prime minister Najib Razak over his handling of the 1MDB scandal. He later quit the party to form his own party based in his home state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, and became the state's chief minister after the 2018 polls.
Mohd Shafie said he was still weighing whether to be a candidate, and has received messages of support from some lawmakers in Anwar's party.
The opposition needs to work harder to show a united front and present clear economic policies to recover from the coronavirus pandemic to win over voters in any election, he said.
Should he be named the opposition's candidate for prime minister, Mohd Shafie would be the first from outside Peninsular Malaysia, the traditional centre of political power and economic development.
East Malaysia on the island of Borneo contributes more than two-thirds of the country's oil and gas reserves. It is made up of Sabah and Sarawak - among the country's poorest states - which have long demanded more autonomy and a greater share of the energy revenues.
Sarawak's ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition is aligned with Muhyiddin's administration, and with 18 lawmakers is seen as a kingmaker.
The chief of Malaysian energy giant Petronas quit last month after a disagreement with the prime minister over giving more oil money to Sarawak, sources have told Reuters. Critics have said Muhyiddin was offering the state more oil revenues to gain its support.
Reuters
Tue Jul 14 2020
Malaysia's politician Shafie Apdal poses for a picture after a joint interview in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia July 14, 2020 - REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng
Ahmad Zahid ajak rakyat Malaysia beri sokongan kepada pasukan sepak takraw negara
Ahmad Zahid ajak orang ramai sokong pasukan sepak takraw negara yang akan menentang Thailand pada perlawanan akhir Piala Dunia Sepak Takraw 2024, hari ini.
Hipertiroidisme penyakit endokrin kedua sering didiagnosis selepas diabetes di Malaysia
Masalah itu boleh dikenal pasti menerusi gejala seperti kegelisahan, penurunan berat badan, tidak tahan panas dan berpeluh secara berlebihan.
Kerajaan serius gubal Dasar Gaji Progresif sektor swasta - PM Anwar
Kerajaan serius gubal Dasar Gaji Progresif melibatkan sektor swasta, selaras dengan penambahbaikan gaji dan elaun penjawat awam, kata PM.
MB Inc Perak rangkul Pemegang Lesen Terbaik Bahan Radioaktif
Perbadanan Menteri Besar Perak (MB Inc) menerusi anak syarikatnya, Amanjaya Global Sdn Bhd, diiktiraf sebagai Pemegang Lesen Terbaik untuk Kategori Bahan Radioaktif(Kawalan VI) bagi tahun 2021-2023.
Forum Air Dunia ke-10: Badan PBB gariskan dua acara untuk elak krisis air
ESCAP telah menekankan dua langkah yang boleh membantu memastikan kekurangan air bermusim, kemarau dan bencana berkaitan air tidak bertukar menjadi krisis yang berlarutan.
Kedutaan China lancar lagu khas sempena sambutan jubli emas Malaysia-China
Lagu berdurasi empat minit dan 19 saat itu telah dimuat naik di laman sosial Facebook rasmi kedutaan pada Selasa.
Nurul Izzah mahu 'berguru' dengan Mohd Azizulhasni, Muhammad Shah Firdaus
The Pocket Rocket Women mahu menimba ilmu dengan Azizulhasni Awang serta Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom yang berpengalaman.
Kelantan cadang adakan pakej umrah menerusi penerbangan terus dari LTSIP
Cadangan itu bukan sahaja memberi kemudahan kepada rakyat Kelantan, malah penduduk Terengganu dan empat wilayah di Selatan Thailand.
Rapid Bus, Volvo meterai MoU operasi percubaan bas elektrik
Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd dan Volvo Buses Malaysia menandatangani MoU pelaksanaan operasi percubaan bas elektrik baharu Volvo BZL-GML Eco Range.
Kerajaan mulakan usaha penggubalan Akta Keupayaan Mental
Kerajaan menerusi Bahagian Hal Ehwal Undang-Undang Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM) telah memulakan langkah ke arah penggubalan Akta Keupayaan Mental.
Hentikan amalan sakau wang rakyat, kayakan diri dan kelompok kecil - PM Anwar
Kerajaan Perpaduan mewarisi negara dalam keadaan sukar, termasuk hutang negara yang tinggi dan kenyataan itu seolah-olah cuba dipadamkan sesetengah pihak.
Kerajaan setuju laksana penyasaran subsidi bahan api diesel - PM Anwar
Dengan penyasaran subsidi diesel tersebut, jumlah penjimatan kepada kerajaan adalah dijangka sekitar RM4 bilion setahun.
Rasuah adalah barah utama yang melemah ekonomi negara, menjatuhkan moral rakyat - PM
Kelemahan tatakelola dan amalan rasuah sudah sistemik, dari peringkat atas, peringkat penengah hingga ke peringkat bawahan.
Mohamad Sabu wakili Malaysia ke Iran hadiri pengebumian Presiden Raisi - PM
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim telah menghubungi Presiden Interim Republik Islam Iran, Mohammad Mokhber pada Selasa untuk merakamkan ucapan takziah.
Anwar ke Jepun bermula Rabu, pertama kali sertai Persidangan Nikkei sebagai Perdana Menteri
Anwar juga dijadual menyampaikan ucaptama dalam persidangan tersebut dengan tema 'Asian Leadership in an Uncertain World'.
Penubuhan Suruhanjaya Pekerja Gig perlu ambil kira aspek perundangan, implikasi kewangan - Kesuma
Aspek perundangan merangkumi akta baharu, mekanisme kilanan dan implikasi kewangan antara perkara yang perlu diambil kira dalam kerangka penubuhan Suruhanjaya Pekerja Gig demi menjaga kebajikan golong
Port Dickson bakal jadi hab keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan ekopelancongan
Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH) akan menjadikan Port Dickson sebagai hab keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan (KKP) serantau untuk sektor pelancongan.
Keluarga tular bawa bayi naik motosikal ke hospital dapat perhatian PM
Gambar sebuah keluarga yang tular memaparkan ibu menggendong bayinya yang bergantung kepada alat bantuan pernafasan mendapat perhatian Perdana Menteri.
PM Anwar sampai Perutusan Negara 9 malam ini
Perdana Menteri dijangka menerang serta mencerahkan mengenai pelbagai isu dalam dan juga luar negara.
Helikopter terhempas: Malaysia dukacita tragedi menimpa Presiden Iran - PM
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hiba dan sedih atas laporan Presiden Iran, Ebrahim Raisi yang terkorban dalam nahas helikoptyer terhempas pada Isnin.