KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin may well find himself in an onerous position when he meets with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his weekly audience with the monarch today.
It has been about a year and a half since Muhyiddin has been attending the audiences with Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, typically held on Wednesdays, but this one may carry a different tone from previous talks, as it may be his last as prime minister.
A multitude of insiders, including those from within palace circles, political parties, and constitutional experts, believe that the king may have no choice but to ask Muhyiddin to step down and make way for a successor in the wake of recent developments.
This comes after Umno dropped a bombshell on the prime minister and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government yesterday when it announced a full withdrawal from both.
In Muhyiddin’s stead, the sources pointed to newly minted Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri, as the frontrunner to lead an interim government, so as not to disrupt the business of governance amid a raging Covid-19 pandemic.
“The move to appoint an interim prime minister may not be an easy decision for the Agong to make, as the last thing his Majesty desires is prolonged political turmoil that would sidetrack the country from its priority in curbing the pandemic and reviving the economy,” said a source.
Nevertheless, if Muhyiddin – upon the Agong’s insistence – refuses to step down, the king may seek consultation not only from the attorney-general, but also His Majesty’s privy council, a group of independent legal advisors or lawyers whose opinions he may seek.
Several political pundits and Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu have also stated the option of Muhyiddin mooting a minority government, but this is an unlikely scenario to be entertained by the palace because Muhyiddin may not have the numbers to make that offer.
With Umno’s withdrawal, the Muhyiddin-led PN may only be able to muster around 82 seats, said a source.
Alternatively, the king also has an option of summoning all remaining 219 MPs to determine which coalition commands the majority, or has adequate numbers in Parliament, to field its own prime minister.
In the event that Muhyiddin refuses to step down, the Agong would be faced with an unprecedented dilemma of forcibly removing his prime minister.
In doing so, the Agong may invoke Article 43 of the federal constitution, which reads:
(1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint a jemaah menteri (cabinet) to advise him in the exercise of his functions.
(2) The cabinet shall be appointed as follows, that is to say –
(a) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall first appoint as perdana menteri (prime minister) to preside over the cabinet a member of the House of Representatives who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House;
(4) If the prime minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives, then, unless at his request the Yang di-Pertuan Agong dissolves Parliament, the prime minister shall tender the resignation of the cabinet.
Muhyiddin has been faced with repeated calls to resign, both from the opposition and Umno.
The demands for him to step down have gone into overdrive this week, especially after the palace’s recent admonishment of the government’s announcement on the revocation of emergency ordinances dated July 21, which had purportedly not gained royal assent, thus triggering a constitutional crisis. – The Vibes, August 4, 2021
