Malaysian King Calls Council of Rulers as Political Impasse Continues

4 days have passed since the election resulted in a hung parliament

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah of Malaysia arrive to attend the Enthronement Ceremony Of Emperor Naruhito of Japan at the Imperial Palace on Oct. 22, 2019, in Tokyo, Japan. Carl Court/Getty Images

Malaysia’s king is set to hold a meeting with his fellow rulers on Thursday to seek their views on how to break the impasse in forming a new government as the country’s post-election stalemate continues for the fourth day.

Malaysia’s king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, will need to determine the country’s new prime minister as no coalition secured enough seats to form a simple majority in the Nov. 19 election.

The meeting will be held at the national palace at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday and is expected to last at least three hours, according to local reports.

“The purpose of this special meeting with Malay rulers is for the King to get their views so that he can make a decision for the interests and well-being of the country and people,” the palace said in a statement.

“The people have already decided to elect their representatives. Therefore, it is up to the people’s representatives to find a solution to resolve the issue that plagues the people,” it added.

The two leading contenders are former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim speaks at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 16, 2018. Lai Seng Sin/Reuters

Anwar’s reformist Pakatan Harapan coalition won the most seats with 82, while Muhyiddin’s pro-Malay conservative Perikatan Nasional bloc won 73 seats.

The palace’s announcement followed Wednesday’s meeting with lawmakers from the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition and the Gabungan Parti Sarawak, which hold 30 seats and 23 seats, respectively.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak had agreed to form a government with Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional, which could have broken the impasse, but Barisan Nasional declined to support either Anwar’s or Muhyiddin’s coalitions, leaving them short of the 112 seats needed to form a government.

The king had proposed that Perikatan Nasional cooperate with Pakatan Harapan to form a unity government, but Muhyiddin turned this down and reiterated his coalition’s position against forming an alliance with the multiethnic coalition.

Nationwide Roadblocks

The police have set up roadblocks at strategic locations nationwide to ensure public safety as the country’s political impasse drags on.

Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said that 24-hour roadblocks would not be enforced during peak hours or daytime to avoid traffic disruption, urging the public to cooperate and abide by the rules.

“The establishment of these road checkpoints is part of [Royal Malaysia Police’s] efforts to prevent crime through the increasing of its omnipresence level to ensure public safety and order,” he told reporters.

The Malaysian Ringgit fell to 4.578 against the U.S. dollar on Monday from 4.548 at Thursday’s close, while the benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) slid 1.5 percent in early trading following the hung parliament.

The country has faced political instability and three prime minister changes since the previous election in 2018, when former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad joined forces with Anwar and led Pakatan Harapan to victory.

Mahathir, 97, Malaysia’s two-time former Prime Minister, lost his long-held Langkawi constituency with only 4,556 votes, marking his first election defeat in 53 years. His Gerakan Tanah Air coalition, established in August, failed to secure a single seat in the election.