The meeting will begin at 10.30am and is expected to last at least three hours.
Palace sources said the special meeting would be crucial.
Sultan Abdullah has been trying to put up a unity government comprising Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) but has failed so far.
PH led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim won 82 parliamentary seats and PN led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin won 73 seats. A minimum 112 seats are needed to win control of the 222-strong Parliament.
The rulers are expected to be briefed on the legal procedures due to the hung Parliament. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Mr Muhyiddin on Tuesday said he had garnered the support of 115 members of parliament, more than needed to form a majority. However, his claims were dismissed by the king.
The role of the king could prove “pivotal”, Prof Weiss said.
“That the king stepped in, (it is) good that there is a figure with stablising potential,” she said. She added, however, that it is a “fundamentally undemocratic” force by its very nature to have an unelected constitutional monarch who is making that decision rather than having the parties work that out on their own.
The king has yet to decide who would be the next prime minister, after meeting the leaders of PH and PN on Tuesday. Meanwhile, all 30 Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians who won in the election have been summoned to the palace to meet with the ruler individually.
COALITIONS WITH POWER TO BREAK STALEMATE
Sarawak’s kingmaker coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) said it is going to wait for the dust to settle before making a final decision on which coalition to back, which Prof Weiss said is “extremely wise”.
“They then maintain the upper hand as being the kingmaker instead of simply one of a couple of potential kingmakers,” she said.
“Moreover, by doing so, they make sure that the specific and quite distinct interests of East Malaysia are taken into account in forming this coalition.”
BN can also potentially break the stalemate, with 30 seats to offer, but this would require the coalition to fix its leadership issues, Prof Weiss said.
Its decision to withhold support for either of the frontrunners is “quite perplexing”, Prof Weiss said, adding that it may reflect infighting within BN, which there has been speculation about.
She noted that immediately after the election, some called for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down as the head of BN’s main component party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and by extension, as the head of BN.
“We've had really conflicting messages all through the last couple of days from BN about whether they were or were not looking for an alliance with Pakatan,” she said.
“I think it's really just a question of the BN pulling itself together and sorting out what it is that it's willing to accept.”
She added that the PH component party, Chinese-led Democratic Action Party (DAP) is a hindrance to BN working with the coalition.
“This simply reflects the extent to which BN rhetoric has demonised the DAP,” she said.
Another factor that may lead to BN breaking the stalemate is negotiating a better deal in terms of which positions they might hold in Cabinet, she said.
Prof Weiss held out hope that the coalitions would reach an agreement.
“My guess is that the BN will come around and will decide to join Pakatan as being the easiest solution,” she said.
KUALA LUMPUR - Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders are meeting Malaysia’s King on Wednesday morning as the country waits to see who will lead the next government.
BN chairman Zahid Hamidi was seen entering the Palace gates at around 10.45am. He left 40 minutes later, accompanied by BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan.
Support from BN’s block of 30 MPs can allow one of them to form the government. But it failed to reach a decision in an emergency meeting on Tuesday night.
Although there was no official statement from the Umno-led pact, leaders leaving the talks said they had sought to postpone the royal summons for their 30 MPs to be individually interviewed on whom they supported as prime minister.
The Straits Times has learnt that Umno president Zahid and vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the caretaker Prime Minister who led government before polls were held, will seek to inform Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah that their coalition’s stance remains unchanged: they support no candidate and will stay in opposition.
Representatives from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) have also been summoned for an audience after BN’s. They had initially pledged their 23 MPs to PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin but later said they would abide by the King’s decision.
Although former premier Muhyiddin claimed on Tuesday evening that he had the support of 115 MPs in the 222-strong legislature, this ostensibly includes members of BN, whose leadership insists that all its MPs remain neutral.
But well-placed sources have told ST that even as at Tuesday, as many as 11 BN MPs want to back Tan Sri Muhyiddin, which would be sufficient to take him past the simple majority mark of 112.
The King had decreed on Tuesday that no MP had the majority and summoned both Datuk Seri Anwar and Mr Muhyiddin to propose a unity government.
Although former deputy premier Anwar said he “accepted the spirit” of such an arrangement, Mr Muhyiddin rejected the proposal outright, declaring that his PN had decided “from the very beginning” that it would not work with PH.
PH won 82 seats in last Saturday’s vote, making it the largest coalition. However, while PN took just 73, parties from east Malaysia supply at least another 29, bringing Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Muhyiddin across the 100-mark.
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s King has summoned Prime Minister candidates from both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) to the Palace on Tuesday evening after the Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance decided to remain in opposition, leaving no leader with a simple majority of Parliament.
Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah must now decide whether to appoint a minority government led by either PH leader Anwar Ibrahim or PN’s chief Muhyiddin Yassin, or request that some form of unity government be established between the two largest blocs that emerged from the closely-fought general election on Saturday.
“As no MP has the confidence of a simple majority, His Majesty has consented to an audience with leaders of the Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional coalition at 4.30pm,” read a statement from the Palace issued on Tuesday.
Both PH and PN are short of the 112 MPs needed to claim a simple majority in Parliament, and the support of 30 MPs from Umno-led BN would have been enough to get either side past the threshold.
“The BN supreme council has decided not to support either coalition to form government. BN agreed to remain in opposition,” said caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
This is despite BN holding shock Monday morning talks with PH leaders, including its prime ministerial candidate Anwar.
“We have made a decision. Leave it to the BN secretary-general to make the statement. No declarations have been signed. We are not siding (with anyone),” Umno’s Jelebu MP Jalaluddin Alias told reporters after the BN meeting on Tuesday.
When met by reporters gathered outside the palace after 2pm on Tuesday, the King Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah called on all parties to respect the electorate’s decision.
“The people are asked to be patient, and accept the decision of the people, the elected representatives, and myself. We have to be rational, we have to move on. Let me make a decision,” he told the media.
Speaker of Parliament Azhar Harun was seen arriving at the national palace at 1.30pm, local media reported.
Several BN MPs have insisted they would not work with Mr Anwar, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat president, or the Democratic Action Party which has the most number of MPs within PH’s 82-seat bloc.
KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysians cast their ballots Saturday in a watershed election, with multiple parties running neck and neck amid global economic headwinds.
Nearly 1,000 candidates -- the oldest being 97-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad -- are battling for 221 parliamentary seats. The latest surveys showed none of the three major camps on track to win at least half the seats, possibly setting up a scramble for alliances to form a government.
The opposition Hope Pact led by longtime leadership aspirant Anwar Ibrahim aims to recover the mandate it won in 2018, which was snatched away by the incumbent National Front through unprecedented political maneuvering. The core of the National Front, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's United Malays National Organization (UMNO), sees that loss as a blip in its otherwise uninterrupted run in power since independence.
Polling ended at 6 p.m. local time, and the results should crystallize by the wee hours of Sunday.
5:00 a.m. Efforts to form a new Malaysian governing coalition continue, with both former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Anwar Ibrahim claiming to have majority support following Saturday's election.
Muhyiddin, leader of the National Alliance, said Monday evening that he submitted statutory declarations to the king naming more than 112 lawmakers -- the minimum needed to form a governing majority in parliament. But the king extended the deadline for such submissions to 2 p.m. Tuesday local time.
Anwar, leader of the Hope Pact, held talks with the National Front -- his former nemesis -- and also claimed to have enough supporters for a majority, including the 30 National Front members who won parliamentary seats in the election.
Anwar and Muhyiddin are expected to submit names to the palace before Tuesday's deadline, with the king likely deciding in the evening, exercising his authority under the country's constitution to appoint the prime minister.
Monday, Nov. 21
1:45 p.m. The Malaysian king has extended by 24 hours the deadline for parties to form a new government, to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, as the National Alliance's Muhyiddin Yassin and the Hope Pact's Anwar Ibrahim scurry to persuade smaller parties for support. "The king has called upon the people to be patient and be calm until the new government formation and naming of the 10th Prime Minister is completed," the statement from the Palace reads.
Muhyiddin, the first to claim to have won over a majority of the newly elected lower house members, has received the support of Borneo parties that won a cumulative 28 seats. Anwar, meanwhile, was seen in a discussion with the National Front on Monday afternoon in Kuala Lumpur. The National Front, led by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, won 30 seats in the lower house election held on Saturday. Hope Pact officially won 82 seats. A coalition will need at least 112 to form a government.
Sunday, Nov. 20
2:20 p.m. The palace issues a statement asking leaders of political parties to submit their coalition of choice by tomorrow 2 p.m. local time. The Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin is then expected to make a final decision to end the political uncertainty after the Saturday general election ended with an unprecedented hung parliament, leaving no parties and coalitions able to prove a majority.
3:45 a.m. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claims his Hope Pact coalition also has enough support from lawmakers to form the next government without providing details about which lawmakers or political parties are backing him. Hope Pact officially won 82 seats, which is less than half the 222 total lower house seats.
"I am announcing that we have obtained the majority [of seats]. Majority means more than 111 seats," Anwar told reporters. "We have to first submit documents to the King. [Hope Pact] has the biggest bloc and we have the understanding to form the government," added Anwar.
3:20 a.m. National Alliance coalition leader Muhyiddin Yassin declares his alliance will form the next government in collaboration with other parties. The National Alliance, which so far has won 70 seats, is expected to work together with National Front, which has 30 seats, and the Borneo parties, which secured 31 seats so far. Muhyiddin, however, did not commit to any agreements with any parties and added that all negotiations will be completed by Sunday evening.
National Alliance coalition leader Muhyiddin Yassin declares his alliance will form the next government in collaboration with other parties. (Photo by Hakimie Amrie)
3:15 a.m. Anwar wins the Tambun seat in the northern state of Perak by 3,736 votes. He defeats former federal minister Faizal Azumu, who represented the National Alliance coalition.
2 a.m. The election commission reports that of the 222 seats being contested, the National Alliance led by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is narrowly leading with 62 seats, ahead of the Anwar Ibrahim-led Hope Pact's 61. The ruling National Front has so far claimed 26 seats.
12:00 a.m. The Anwar Ibrahim-led Hope Pact has officially won 28 seats and is seen leading in 65 constituencies, while the National Alliance led by former leader Muhyiddin Yassin has been declared winner in 26 seats while leading in 43 seats. The ruling National Front is seen winning 15 and leading in 18 seats.
Saturday, Nov. 19
11:50 p.m. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has failed to defend his Langkawi parliamentary seat, an unofficial count confirms. He lost his deposit after failing to gain at least 20% of votes cast.
Mahathir, 97, who served twice as the country's prime minister for a cumulative 24 years, was trailing the winner from the National Alliance by more than 11,000 votes.
This is Mahathir's first defeat in parliamentary elections since 1969. He was vying for his 10th term as a federal lawmaker
Mahathir told Nikkei Asia in a recent interview that he would retire if he lost his seat.
Separately, Prime Minister aspirant Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the Hope Pact coalition, won the Tambun constituency in northern Perak state by more than 4,100 votes, an unofficial count shows. He defeated former federal minister Faizal Azumu, who represented the National Alliance coalition.
10:35 p.m. National Alliance chairman and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin wins the Pagoh seat in the southern state of Johor, reports state news agency Bernama.
Meanwhile, an unofficial count shows Anwar Ibrahim's Hope Pact leading in 64 constituencies, the Muhyiddin-led National Alliance leading in 39 constituencies and the National Front, which includes UMNO, ahead in 19 seats.
9:20 p.m. The Anwar Ibrahim-led Hope Pact is seen leading in 54 constituencies, while the National Alliance led by former leader Muhyiddin Yassin is ahead in 37, based on unofficial figures. The ruling National Front is seen trailing, with an edge in just 17 constituencies. Vote counting continues and is at various stages nationwide.
8:20 p.m. The Anwar Ibrahim-led Hope Pact is seen leading in 47 constituencies, while the National Front is seen ahead in 13. The constituencies are at various stages of counting.
The unofficial results come from the respective state voting centers, where the official numbers will only be announced after the conclusion of all votes in a constituency
7:00 p.m. The latest turnout data, as of 4 p.m., shows a ratio of 70%, or 14.8 million voters.
6:00 p.m. It's closing time at the polls. Now we wait for the results to trickle in.
Ballot boxes will be sealed by Election Commission officials and transported to the counting centers. Each parliamentary constituency will have one counting center.
As of 3 p.m., turnout stood at 65%, or 13.7 million people.
5:25 p.m. The Election Commission has suspended voting in Baram, on the island of Borneo, due to bad weather. This means the total seats up for grabs on Saturday will be 220, instead of the original 222. A separate polling date will be announced in due course for Baram as well as Padang Serai, where the vote was postponed until next month due to the sudden death of a candidate.
3:55 p.m. Some Malaysians used the occasion to engage in some cos-playing, showing up to cast their ballots dressed as superheroes like Captain America, Predator, Iron Man and Power Rangers.
3:50 p.m. Over 12.2 million voters had cast ballots as of 2 p.m., 58% of all those eligible.
3:45 p.m. Turnout is one key factor to watch. Another is how younger citizens vote. As many as 1.4 million of the 21.17 million eligible voters are first timers, after the minimum age was lowered to 18 from 21.
2:15 p.m. The Election Commission says 50% of voters had cast their ballots by 1 p.m., a slower pace than in 2018 when the percentage at the same time was 55%. However, this year the voter base is larger, and the number of voters having cast their ballots by 1 p.m. was 10.5 million, compared to 8.22 million four years ago.
2:00 p.m. The meteorology department warns of thunderstorms and heavy rain in the southern state of Johor and in some parts of Sabah state, on Borneo island.
1:50 p.m. The country's Election Commission tweets that by noon 42% of voters had cast their ballots. Turnout for the last federal election, in 2018, was 82%.
1:20 p.m. The skies above the capital clear up after a morning drizzle, but local media report that voters in the interior areas of the state of Sarawak, on Borneo, are braving floodwaters to cast their ballots.
1:00 p.m. Former prime ministers Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin appear at their polling stations to cast votes.
11:10 a.m. Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the opposition coalition Hope Pact, arrives at a polling center in Penang state and casts his vote alongside many other citizens. Ismail Sabri Yaakob, prime minister and vice president in the ruling UMNO, is also seen casting his ballot in Bera, Pahang state.
8:00 a.m. Election day is underway as the polls fully open. A key question is how the monsoon season might affect turnout. The Meteorological Department gave a mixed forecast for election day, with rain expected in some parts of the country.
Women show their inked fingers after voting at a polling center in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 19. (Photo by Hakimie Amrie)
7:00 a.m. Pollster Merdeka Center For Opinion Research in its latest survey on Friday projected opposition coalition Hope Pact to lead with 82 seats, out of 221, followed by National Alliance with 43. UMNO-led National Front is expected to garner 15 seats, with 45 considered a tossup.
