In Malaysia, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigns

On Monday, August 16, a Malaysian minister announced her resignation, headed by Muhyiddin Yassin. This departure opens a new period of political instability for this Southeast Asian country which is struggling with the resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic.

“The government handed over its resignation to the king.”As Science Minister Khairy Gamal El Din said on his Instagram account. Deputy Sports Minister Wan Ahmed Faisal Wan Ahmed Kamal thanked the Prime Minister on Facebook for his work.

The Malaysian prime minister came to power in March 2020, without elections, and led a coalition government after the fall of the government of Mahathir Mohamad, a heavyweight in Malaysian politics. Mr. Yassin had postponed the elections for several months by imposing a state of emergency due to the pandemic.

There is no clear behind

The 74-year-old leader tried, again on Friday, to cling to power, by unsuccessfully offering opposition elected officials to support him in exchange for the adoption of several reforms. Having failed to win the support of parliamentarians, he held his last cabinet meeting on Monday before heading to the palace to present his resignation to the Malaysian monarch.

Politicians have already begun positioning themselves to take his place as prime minister, but he has no clear successor. The country could once again plunge into a turbulent period of political instability that has already gone through on several occasions against the backdrop of conflict between rival factions.

This country of 32 million people is suffering from a strong wave of infection with the Covid-19 virus that it is struggling to contain, with tens of thousands of new cases every day. Its economy has been hit hard by government-imposed lockdowns and restrictions.