Malaysian PM Mahathir Resigns amid Rumor of Forming a New Coalition without Anwar

Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has submitted the resignation to the king at 1 p.m. local time on Monday, according to the prime minister’s office. It has yet to clear whether the king will accept Mahathir’s resignation. 

The sudden resignation is shocking the country amid the rumor the Mahathir will form a new government that would exclude his successor Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of coalition ally party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and leader of the Pakatan Harapan coalition.  

Mahathir is a member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Political Party, the Party that has announced its withdraw from the Pakatan Harapan coalition or the Hope Pact, the current ruling government. 

The decision to resign followed a speculation over the weekend that the coalition government could lose its power, mostly citing unnamed sources, reported that Mahathir would turn to the opposition parties to form and lead a new government. 

Sources said Mahathir’s party and a faction in Anwar’s party met some staffs from Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu or UMNO, the main national opposition political party, and Islamist party PAS in efforts to form a new coalition and possibly back Mahathir to take a post of prime minister for another full five-year term.