KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has informed Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof of his intention to call a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

In a letter dated May 4 sighted by Malay Mail, the Langkawi MP stated his intention to table a motion of confidence that Muhyiddin, who is also Pagon MP, does not command the majority of the Lower House.

Dr Mahathir’s letter to Mohamad Ariff follows a letter dated May 1 by Semporna MP and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal seeking a motion to show that the 94-year-old statesman commands the majority in Parliament in order to appoint a prime minister.

Mohamad Ariff, however, rejected Shafie’s motion on the grounds that the plan is against the Federal Constitution and therefore cannot be allowed to be brought to the meeting.

Parliament will convene for the first time this year on May 18.

However, the government has truncated the meeting that was already delayed from its original date in March to just a single day, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason.

The March meeting was postponed after Dr Mahathir resigned as the prime minister, eventually leading to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as the new prime minister heading the Perikatan Nasional administration despite assertions from Dr Mahathir’s camp that the latter still had the support to be reappointed.

Neither Muhyiddin nor Dr Mahathir have publicly demonstrated that either commands the majority support needed to be the prime minister.