Malaysian King To Convene Rulers Council To Discuss Gov't Formation On Thursday - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2022) Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah has invited the hereditary rulers of the country's regions to discuss the formation of a new government at a special meeting on November 24, the Malaysian newspaper The Star reported on Wednesday, citing the Istana Negara (National Palace).

The meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. local time (02:30 GMT) on Thursday at the king's official residence in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the report said.

On Saturday, Malaysia held a general election to its 222-seat lower house and regional legislatures. Nevertheless, it remains unclear who will enter the country's new government, as none of the parties or coalitions managed to gain enough votes to form a government.

On Wednesday morning, the king held individual meetings with lawmakers of the new parliament from the former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (National Front), which lost the election and received only 30 seats. Barisan Nasional leader and outgoing prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said on Tuesday that his faction has no intention to join forces with other coalitions and will remain as the opposition.

The most likely candidates for the post of the new Malaysian prime minister are Anwar Ibrahim, leader of the political coalition the Alliance of Hope, which received 82 mandates, and Muhyiddin Yassin, the eighth prime minister and leader of the National Alliance coalition that gained 73 seats.

According to The Star, Abdullah has been trying in vain to put up a unity government comprising the Alliance of Hope and the National Alliance.