Mahathir and Anwar both bid to form new government but the impasse increasingly points to snap polls
A high-stakes political impasse in Malaysia, with interim leader Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim making separate bids to power, promises more twists and turns that could eventuate in the formation of a new government or snap polls.
The multiracial Southeast Asian nation was thrust into sudden turmoil when Mahathir resigned on February 24 in the fallout of a failed attempt by his purported supporters to form a new coalition government to block a promised transfer of power to Anwar.
The backdoor move caused the collapse of Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and opened a power vacuum that both veteran politicians are now bidding to fill.
In a televised address to the nation on February 26 as newly appointed “interim” premier, 94-year-old Mahathir explained the factors behind his decision to resign and apologized for the political discord now roiling the nation.
A high-stakes political impasse in Malaysia, with interim leader Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim making separate bids to power, promises more twists and turns that could eventuate in the formation of a new government or snap polls.
The multiracial Southeast Asian nation was thrust into sudden turmoil when Mahathir resigned on February 24 in the fallout of a failed attempt by his purported supporters to form a new coalition government to block a promised transfer of power to Anwar.
The backdoor move caused the collapse of Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and opened a power vacuum that both veteran politicians are now bidding to fill.
In a televised address to the nation on February 26 as newly appointed “interim” premier, 94-year-old Mahathir explained the factors behind his decision to resign and apologized for the political discord now roiling the nation.
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Nile Bowie is a journalist and correspondent with the Asia Times covering current affairs in Singapore and Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.
