Malaysian premier promises to hold elections no later than July 2022

By Muhammad Nazarudin Latief

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Friday he is planning to hold general elections in July 2022, at the latest.

Muhyiddin revealed that he had no intention to hold on to power.

"In this situation, it is wise to return the mandate to the hands of the public to pick their own government,” he said during a televised address.

He also conveyed several proposals in exchange for the support of MPs as the premier is facing a possible defeat in an upcoming no-confidence motion.

“The reason for presenting these suggestions is to ensure the government can function during this pandemic,” said Muhyiddin.

He admitted that a motion of confidence vote can only be passed with bipartisan support in the Dewan Rakyat, or the House of Representatives.

“And no other MPs have been able to prove that they command a majority support in parliament,” he said. “At the same time, just like all of you, I have a responsibility to prevent kleptocrats from ruling the country.”

In July, the king of Malaysia criticized the government for lifting emergency coronavirus regulations without his consent.

It was the first time that the revered monarch openly criticized the Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, mounting further pressure on a ruling coalition already dealing with internal rifts.

Muhyiddin has been under mounting pressure to quit since then as many MPs withdrew support.

In Malaysian politics, a minimum of 112 members of the 222-seat parliament is required to form a government.

*Writing by Maria Elisa Hospita from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language services in Jakarta.​​​​​​​