On Monday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government resigned over a loss of trust from lawmakers caused by the negative economic consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns. Outgoing Muhyiddin was appointed a caretaker prime minister until his successor is named.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday that during a two-hour meeting with the king, party leaders agreed to a new "peaceful" political landscape to better cope with COVID-19 challenges.
Under the Malaysian constitution, the prime minister is elected by the parliament following a general election and then is confirmed by the king. If a prime minister resigns before his tenure is up, two scenarios are set forth in the constitution: the dissolution of parliament followed by holding of snap elections, or the appointment of a new prime minister by the king to fill the position until the current parliamentary term expires. A caretaker prime minister should have the support of the majority of lawmakers.
The term of the current parliament ends in July 2022.