Ismail Sabri sworn in as 9th prime minister

 

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been sworn in as the ninth prime minister.

He took his oath of office before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at Istana Negara at 2.30pm.

The ceremony was aired live by national television stations and the Prime Minister Department’s Facebook page.

Ismail is the first prime minister who is not the head or deputy head of a political party.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing graft charges while his deputy Mohamad Hasan is not an MP.

The Bera MP takes over from caretaker prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional chairperson.

Muhyiddin was ousted after 15 Umno MPs withdrew their support for his coalition government comprising PN (Bersatu, PAS, STAR, SAPP, Gerakan), BN (Umno, MCA, MIC, PBRS), GPS (PBB, PRS, PDP SUPP), PBS and independent MPs.

However, 14 out of the 15 Umno MPs returned to the coalition’s fold after it was agreed that Ismail will take over as the prime minister.

Ismail, 61, was the deputy prime minister in Muhyiddin’s cabinet.

Prior to that, he has held various positions under different cabinets, including as youth and sports minister, domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, and defence minister cum senior minister.

Meanwhile, the swearing-in ceremony was also attended by top political leaders that supported Ismail as the prime minister, as well as several top government officials.

They include Zahid, MCA president Wee Ka Siong, MIC deputy president M Saravanan, GPS chairperson and Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg, and PBRS' Arthur Joseph Kurup. - Mkini