PETALING JAYA, Aug 21 — Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has thanked Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for appointing him as the ninth prime minister of Malaysia.

Ismail Sabri also expressed his appreciation to members of the Dewan Rakyat who had nominated him to be the new prime minister to succeed Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"I thank Allah for this appointment as the prime minister.

"My thanks also go to fellow Members of Parliament (MPs) including Independents and heads of political parties,” he told reporters outside his residence here today.

The Umno vice-president also expressed his gratitude to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the party’s supreme council for their confidence in him.

The former deputy prime minister said he would issue a statement for the people of Malaysia tomorrow regarding his appointment to the country’s top post.

Ismail Sabri, the MP for Bera, was sworn in as the prime minister before Al-Sultan Abdullah at Istana Negara at 2.28pm today.

Muhyiddin, who led the Perikatan Nasional government, resigned on Aug 16 after losing the support of the majority of MPs. — Bernama