GE15: Neither Anwar nor Muhyiddin is the PM, the limbo continues

SHAH ALAM - Malaysia's post election limbo which has been ongoing since the past three days following the conclusion of its 15th General Election (GE15) last Saturday is set to prolong.

Such was so, as the lengthy meeting between the chairmen of Pakatan Harapan's (PH) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara, at 4PM today, ended with no definite decision over the appointment of prime minister and formation of the next government.

“There is no decision yet for now but we express profound gratitude for the opportunity given [to be summoned by the Agong].

"We were informed that there needs to be a collective decision to unite and form a stable government to safeguard the people's interests," said Anwar at a press conference held in front of Istana Negara following the meeting with the Agong.

Malaysia has invariably entered a deadlock after none of the parties which stood in the November 19 GE15, won enough parliamentary seats to form government.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) has won the most seats at 82, followed by Perikatan Nasional (PN): 73; Barisan Nasional (BN): 30; Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS): 22; Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS): 7 and others: 6.

The stalemate occurred as parties needed to at least secure 112 parliamentary seats to form government as Malaysia has a total of 222 parliamentary seats.

Due to the impasse, the number one leaders in both PH and PN; Anwar and Muhyiddin, respectively; have been negotiating with rival party, BN, in a bid to woo support to form government.

While BN chairman, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had initially seemed receptive of Anwar’s sales pitch of forming a unity government with PH, the offer was effectively declined by BN after its supreme council decided to support neither PH nor PN.

"BN has agreed to remain as the opposition," tweeted BN supreme council member Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

In an ensuing statement, succeeding Ismail Sabri's tweet, BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir announced that the coalition has already communicated their decision over the matter to the Agong.