Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad resigns amid reports of new coalition

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has reportedly resigned following a day of political turmoil in the country. Mahathir Mohamad is supposed to enter a wider coalition by replacing the current ruling pact with the support of a majority of lawmakers that includes opposition parties Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

While Mahathir has sent his resignation letter to Malaysia's king Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Minister of Economic Affairs Mohamed Azmin Ali and Minister of Housing & Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin have been expelled from the People's Justice Party (PKR) for acting against the party.

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Political realignment

The decision to expel the ministers comes amid the reports of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and Wan Azizah Wan Ismail meeting the Malaysian King. Ibrahim, in a Facebook Live broadcast on February 23, had expressed shock on the political developments calling it a betrayal of the promises made during government formation.

The political realignment could see a new government without the PKR which was part of the current coalition government. The resignation of Mohamad was widely expected after a series of meeting were held on February 23 to plan the formation of a new federal government.

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