Ismail Sabri can be acting PM if Muhyiddin resigns, says Khaled Nordin

 

Newly minted Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob can take over from Muhyiddin Yassin should the latter step down as prime minister, said an Umno vice-president.

According to Mohamed Khaled Nordin (above), as the deputy premier, Ismail can become the acting prime minister and thus carry out Muhyiddin's duties.

"The deputy prime minister can be acting prime minister," he told Malaysiakini earlier today.

"I personally do not have a problem (if Ismail takes over as acting PM)," he added.

Khaled said this when contacted over Umno's decision last night to withdraw support for Muhyiddin.

The party also called for Muhyiddin's resignation to make way for an interim prime minister, whom they said should focus on handling the Covid-19 pandemic until a general election is held.

The Umno supreme council that made the decision last night, however, did not specify who should take up the job.

"It is not the time for such discussions yet," Khaled said.

The decision to retract support for Muhyiddin came less than 12 hours after Ismail was appointed as deputy prime minister - which was seen as an attempt to placate Umno.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

Muhyiddin also promoted Umno MP and Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, to the position of senior minister in-charge of the security cluster, which was Ismail's portfolio.

With 38 MPs, Umno is the largest bloc in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government.

While Muhyiddin's position is now in limbo following the withdrawal of Umno's support, the party's decision does not directly translate to a loss of confidence as the Westminster parliamentary system only counts the support of individual MPs regardless of their party stand.

The Umno supreme council decision also brings to question the position of its party's ministers in Muhyiddin's cabinet, whether they can continue serving the prime minister or have to resign.

Most Umno MPs are aligned with Ismail and Hishammuddin, and it is understood that the party’s lawmakers have been given discretion whether or not to back a no-confidence motion against Muhyiddin in Parliament. 

  - Mkini