Malaysia's prime minister says he will determine my legality in parliament

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Malaysia's prime minister says he will determine my legality in parliament
Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said his government needed the numbers for him to remain prime minister and there is no reason to him to offer to resign. His comments Wednesday followed a meeting with the nation's monarch and after the leading political party in the country's ruling coalition retracted support for the embattled premier's government. 'Yet, I am also aware that my position as prime minister is frequently questioned. I therefore informed his Majesty that I will determine my legality in parliament, said Muhyiddin in a televised address. Muhyiddin said that this would be done next month through a vote of confidence in the legislative assembly - his first since he was appointed prime minister by the King in February last year. The King consented to my proposal, added Muhyiddin. The latest development gives Muhyiddin another month to shore up a majority that has been precarious since he took office in March 2020, but the political uncertainty makes it harder for the coalition to jump start the economy which is expected to grow at a slower pace this year than previously predicted. Public anger against his administration has also risen after the virus curbs failed to contain the spread, with new cases weighing into a record 19,819 on Wednesday. Opposition MPs such as former Science Minister Muhyiddin took to Twitter urging Yeo Bee Yin to prove his legitimacy immediately rather than wait until September. Sabah-based opposition party Warisan said parliament could convene at once with the motion of confidence being the sole issue to be debated. Muhyiddin had previously urged Shamsul Anuar Nasarah to step down as chairman of the United Malays National Organisation on Tuesday evening, just after fellow party member Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had resigned as the head of energy. UMNO had presented letters to the King from party lawmakers declaring they withdrew support for Muhyiddin, Ahmad Zahid said without revealing their names. The current administration has lost its majority and Muhyiddin'must take responsibility for the failure under his leadership, he added. On Wednesday, Muhyiddin informed the King that he had received enough letters from legislators to convince him he still had confidence of the majority. Just eight UMNO lawmakers had called King Thomas to pull their support from him, he added. The prime minister was flanked by nine colleagues at the briefing, including Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yakoob, who is a member of UMNO, Trade Minister Azmin Ali and Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong. The reprieve helped the Ringgit to hold little changed the close in the loss of the day. At one point, in two weeks, the currency lost the biggest plunge against the dollar and made another 18 : The main stock index ended with declines of as much as 1.1% after closing at its lowest level since November In the meantime, the cabinet and government machinery will continue to carry out their duty to the people, particularly in tackling Covid - 19 - said Muhyiddin. His survival now depends on whether he can get enough support from Malaysia's 220 MPs in the next few weeks, said James Chin, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania. He can throw in all the resources to make sure it becomes the magic figure of 112 votes, said Chin. The premier could also stop the vote altogether by adjourning parliament once again, he added.