Explainer | Who will be Malaysia’s next prime minister? Here’s how the race could play out

Umno’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the front runner, but analysts say it is too soon to discount Anwar Ibrahim – while Mahathir Mohamad may have a role to play

The king could privately interview all MPs to determine who has the backing to be premier, or convene a special session of parliament for lawmakers to decide

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Malaysia’s political crisis has played out against the backdrop of surging Covid-19 cases, leaving the public seething. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:18pm, 16 Aug 2021Updated: 8:01pm, 20 Aug 2021

Malaysia’s outgoing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was called various names during his 17 months in office – the shortest stint of a leader in the Southeast Asian country.

From being labelled a pengkhianat, or traitor, for his infamous internal coup against ex-allies Pakatan Harapan, to stomaching the unfortunate label of “PM cirit birit” – or “diarrhoea prime minister” – following much-publicised digestive trouble in June, the mudslinging has been brutal.

The hypercompetitive nature of Malaysian politics means the top political job can at times be nightmarish. Even so, there appears to be no lack of candidates to succeed the 74-year-old following his resignation on Monday, after weeks of turmoil over the Perikatan Nasional alliance’s loss of majority legislative support.

Muhyiddin will stay on as caretaker prime minister until his successor is appointed, possibly this week.

The veteran politician struck a defiant note in a speech announcing his resignation, saying his efforts to maintain stability amid the coronavirus crisis had been thwarted by “some who would rather snatch power than prioritise the lives of the people”.

Later, during a closed-door dialogue with top newspaper editors, Muhyiddin said he believed history would judge his administration well for its achievements within a short time, and for its management of the Covid-19 crisis.