KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di- Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has reappointed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as interim Prime Minister after accepting the latter’s resignation yesterday.
Dr Mahathir will remain as the interim Prime Minister until a new prime minister is appointed and a new federal cabinet is formed, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali said in a media statement yesterday.
“His Majesty has consented to the appointment of YAB Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad as interim Prime Minister while waiting for the appointment of a new Prime Minister in accordance with Article 43 (2)(a) of the Federal Constitution.”
As such, as the interim Prime Minister, he (Dr Mahathir) will continue to manage the country’s administration pending the appointment of a new prime minister and formation of a new federal Cabinet,” Mohd Zuki said in the three-paragraph statement.
Dr Mahathir was the country’s fourth (1981-2003) and seventh prime minister. He is tipped to be the eighth prime minister.
He was appointed as the country’s prime minister for the second time after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition achieved a landslide victory against Barisan Nasional (BN) after the 14th general election on May, 9, 2018.
The 94-year-old statesman, however, shocked the nation when he announced his resignation as prime minister after two days of intense speculation.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced in a statement that Dr Mahathir had submitted his letter of resignation as the prime minister to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at 1pm yesterday.
Dr Mahathir had also submitted his letter of resignation as the chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to the party headquarters.
Bersatu has also pulled out of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
With his resignation as the prime minister, the four-party PH government coalition has practically collapsed. – Bernama
