Why Malaysian king had to choose the Prime Minister in post-election crisis? Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to take oath as the next Prime Minister

Malaysian Elections failed to provide a majority to any single party or coalition resulting in a hung parliament.PM contenders Anwar and Muhyiddin could not win a simple majority. Besides, Muhyiddin declined to work with Anwar. King Al-Sultan Abdullah had to intervene to clear the deadlock.

Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah had to arbitrate after the leading arch-rivals failed to win a majority in last weekend's election. He appealed to the disgruntled parties to work together, but his suggestion was turned down. As a result, he had to intervene to choose the next Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The vote resulted in an unprecedented hung parliament, with neither opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim nor former Premier Muhyiddin Yassin could win the simple majority needed to form a government.

King Al-Sultan advised the arch-rivals to work together

To break the stalemate, King Al-Sultan Abdullah suggested the two rivals to work together for forming a 'unity government', but Muhyiddin who runs a Malay Muslim conservative alliance declined to work with Anwar, a frontline leader of a multi-ethnic coalition.

3 Prime Ministers in 3 Years in Malaysia

The last Saturday election and the subsequent turmoil with prolonged political instability in the Southeast Asian nation, which had three Prime Ministers in as many years, were affecting the policy decisions, much needed to galvanise an economic recovery.

Anwar's progressive coalition won the most seats, but an Islamist alliance of Muhyiddin's bloc that has touted Sharia law was against joining the government with Anwar. This Islamist alliance has significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities.

Anwar's coalition won the most seats in last Saturday’s election with 82, while Muhyiddin's bloc won 73. They needed 112 - a simple majority - to form a government.

The third faction ‘Barisan’ won only 30 seats - its worst electoral performance - but as expected it will play a pivotal role in supporting the Party that is going to form the government.

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Barisan the grand old party was in power since independence in 1957

Barisan was in power since its Independence from British colonial rule in 1957 until its first defeat in 2018. Rampant corruption that led to Barisan’s defeat ultimately ended in former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s imprisonment for 1 year. And this seriously dented the image of the grand old party.

It was now the King – the constitutional monarch, who normally plays a largely ceremonial role, had to intervene for bringing the country out of the imbroglio. King Al-Sultan Abdullah finally appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister on Thursday and he will be sworn in soon, ending five days of unprecedented post-election crisis after inconclusive polls.

Anwar's three-decade-long political journey from a protégé of veteran leader Mahathir Mohammad to a protest leader, to a prisoner convicted of sodomy, to opposition leader and finally concluded as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

With the end of the political deadlock in Malaysia, the markets started surging - Ringgit currency posted its best day in two weeks and equities (.KLSE) rose 3%.

Notably, the 75-year-old Anwar has time and again been denied the premiership despite getting within striking distance over the years: he was Deputy Prime Minister in the 1990s and the official Prime Minister-in-waiting in 2018.

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