Malaysia's Mahathir and Anwar in new showdown amid turmoil
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s decades-old political rivals Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim set out claims to lead the Southeast Asian country on Wednesday after Mahathir’s shock resignation as prime minister sparked turmoil.
The struggle between Mahathir, 94, and Anwar, 72, who formed a surprise pact to win a 2018 election, has shaped Malaysian politics for more than two decades and is at the root of the latest crisis.
Mahathir, the world’s oldest head of government in his role as interim prime minister, proposed a unified administration without political party allegiances at a time Malaysia faces a flagging economy and the impact of the new coronavirus.
“Politics and political parties need to be put aside for now,” Mahathir said in a televised message. “I propose a government that is not aligned with any party, but only prioritises the interests of the country.”
Anwar later said he opposed forming a “backdoor government” and that three parties from the former Pakatan ruling coalition had proposed his name to the king as candidate for prime minister.
“We wait for the decision of the king,” he told a news conference.
To try to end the crisis, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has been meeting all 222 elected members of parliament over two days.
Those in the meetings said they were asked to name their favoured prime minister or whether they wanted fresh elections.
Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), or the People’s Justice Party, has 39 seats and alliance partners could potentially give it another 62.
While some politicians have openly voiced support for Mahathir to stay in office, it was not clear whether enough of them would give him their backing.