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| Pakistan's close-knit Malaysia out of power, Mohiuddin new PM |
After the resignation of Mahathir Mohamad as Prime Minister, the Sultan of Malaysia has announced the appointment of former Home Minister Mohiuddin Yasin as the new Prime Minister of the country.
72-year-old Mohiuddin will take oath at the National Palace on Sunday.
After Mahathir Mohammed came to power, Malaysia had grown closer to Pakistan. Mahathir Mohammad supported Pakistan's line on Kashmir. He even opposed the CAA. Mahathir had said that what would happen if Malaysia implemented CAA like India. While Mahathir was in power, relations with India remained tense. Mahathir Mohammad has been the Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and in 2018 he was once again elected PM. Pakistan and Malaysia have come close after being re-elected.
After a week of political tug of war, 94-year-old Mahathir had severed his relationship with his coalition partner Anwar (72), after which he resigned from his post.
Although Mahathir had announced a re-alliance with Anwar on Saturday, the Palace said in its statement that the Sultan had taken the decision on the basis that Mohiuddin Yasin may have majority in Parliament.
This statement said, "His Excellency has ordered that the process of appointing the Prime Minister cannot be delayed. This is the best decision for all."
Mohiuddin also later said that he would ask all Malaysians to accept the decision of the National Palace.
Who is Mohiuddin?
Recognized as a veteran politician, Mohiuddin has more than 50 years of political experience. He has held the post of cabinet minister seven times.
His image among Malaysians is that of a principled politician.
Mohiuddin was raised in Muar in Johor province. He received a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Malay Studies from Malay University.
In 1971, he joined the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), which is the longest ruling party in the country.
Mohiuddin decided his journey in politics quickly and he traveled from member of the assembly of Johor to Chief Minister in just 15 years.
He has been an eight-time MP from Pagoh in North Johor. He has held ministries like domestic trade, agriculture and industry including youth and sports.
When the dispute was related
During Najib Razak's government, he has been the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister. In 2010, he got into controversies when he said that he is Malay first and then something else.
Actually at that time he was answering the questions of the opposition related to Najib's idea of One Malaysia.
In 2015, he was expelled from the cabinet after he questioned the action taken by Najib on the One Malaysia Development Berhad scam.
He was widely praised for speaking out against corruption but was eventually expelled from UMNO in 2016. This was the party he was in for 50 years.
Mohiuddin together with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad formed a new party called Parati Paribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). He is the chairman of Bersatu while Mahatir is the chairman.
This party formed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance in 2018, which defeated the Barisan National Alliance, registering a historic victory in the general elections.
After the victory, Mahathir was made the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia while Mohiuddin was appointed as Home Minister.
In August 2018, Mohiuddin had pancreatic cancer which was of early stage and underwent successful surgery in Singapore.
After recovering, he took back the Home Ministry. During this time, he was also seen to take strong decisions against the campaign against terror and for the protection of Sabah water.
He also tried to bring back the fugitive businessman Lo Taek Zhao.
Where did the political controversy start
Despite Mohiuddin's efforts, there was discontent in the country about the PH coalition government. People in Malaysia were unhappy about rising inflation and unemployment.
On Sunday, Mohiuddin held a meeting with PM Party MPs, opposition coalition UMNO and PAS MPs and another coalition leader Azmin Ali.
Within a few days Bersatu went out of the PH alliance and Mahathir Mohammad resigned. Sultan spoke to all the MPs at the National Palace, while Mohiuddin was the first to participate in this race as the next Prime Minister.
MPs from Berrison National, PAS and Bersatu initially supported Mahathir as Prime Minister, but Mahathir had said that he would not work with UMNO MPs while Mohiuddin was agreeable.
Mahathir Mohammad was very close to Pakistan, along with being the oldest Prime Minister in the world.
Mahathir had also severely criticized India's citizenship amendment law. Questioning the need for citizenship amendment law at the Kuala Lumpur Summit, he said that when everyone in India has lived together for 70 years, then what was the need of this law.
India had strongly objected to this statement of Mahathir Mohammad. The Indian Foreign Ministry had said that the Malaysian PM has once again commented on India's internal affairs.
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