⁍ Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s failed bid to declare a state of emergency in Malaysia this week could have marked the end of his shaky eight months in power.
⁍ Instead he fights on, helped by a royal endorsement for his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
⁍ King Al-Sultan Abdullah refused Muhyiddin’s request for an emergency, but also rebuked politicians for engaging in a power struggle.
– Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tried to declare a state of emergency this week to deal with the H1N1 virus, but King Al-Sultan Abdullah refused to allow him to do so, Reuters reports. The king scolded politicians for banding together to undermine Muhyiddin’s authority—a move that could have led to political instability in the country. Muhyiddin still has support from his ruling coalition, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to pass the budget next week, which would be the first budget presented by his government since it took power in March. It could also trigger an election. “The party president says support the government. But there is no guarantee as it’s up to the individual MPs,” a senior source in Muhyiddin’s United Malays National Organization party tells Reuters.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-politics-budget-explainer/explainer-malaysias-political-crisis-leaves-muhyiddin-with-make-or-break-budget-challenge-idUSKBN27C11H