KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — As Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin clocked in for what is said to be his last day in office, MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran named sitting Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri as the only suitable candidate for the premiership.
In a Malaysiakini report, he added that other candidates from the Malay-centric party would not be able to muster enough support to become the next prime minister of Malaysia.
“I think even Zahid should support... he must support. Why? Because he's from Umno. Umno is going to become the prime minister, why shouldn't they?
“Even if they name [another Umno candidate], they don't have the numbers. Only Ismail Sabri has got the numbers. They can name whoever, but nobody will have the majority.
"There's no majority unless you get another 200 MPs coming from Mars," Vigneswaran told Malaysiakini.
Muhyiddin’s purported resignation comes after his call for a political ceasefire last Friday was given the cold shoulder by all sides, including the coalition component, Umno.
Umno is seen as being divided into two factions after the party’s president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi notified the Agong that 15 lawmakers had retracted their support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, while Ismail and the remaining party’s lawmakers pledged allegiance to Muhyiddin until the next general election.
However, yesterday, it was reported that Ismail has attended a series of meetings at the Royal Chulan hotel.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin had also reportedly attended the meeting at the hotel to declare support for Ismail to become the next prime minister.
The nation’s attention will rest squarely on Istana Negara today, where Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin could be attending his final royal audience as prime minister of Malaysia.
Muhyiddin is expected to meet with Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and tender his resignation, finally conceding that he no longer commands the simple majority in Parliament needed to remain in his role.
