Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has urged citizens to reject the actions of a certain politician he said was looking to destabilize the country’s political situation, hours after the country’s opposition leader announced he was seeking to form a new government.
Muhyiddin, 73, said this during his address to the nation where he announced new COVID-19 financial aid worth RM10 billion (about US$2.4 billion). Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was already making headlines after he told reporters at noon that he had obtained enough support to form a new government but has yet to meet with the king.
“I urge you all to reject the actions of a certain politician who only wants to destabilize the current political climate and our economic recovery plan that has been going so well thus far,” Muhyiddin said towards the end of his address that began at 2:30pm today.
He had announced financial aid he said could cushion the impact of COVID-19 on Malaysia’s citizens and the economy, which include a RM2.4 billion wage subsidy scheme for small and medium businesses. He said that employers would have until the end of the year to apply for their staff.
Another RM7 billion has been set aside for nearly 11 million low and middle-income households across the nation, Muhyiddin added.
Although he did not name Anwar in his speech, Anwar’s surprise press conference took place not long before Muhyiddin addressed the nation.
At the Le Meridien hotel, Anwar was accompanied by his wife and former deputy prime minister Wan Azizah, along with Saifuddin Nasution, who is the former trade and consumer affairs minister. Anwar did not reveal the number of parliamentary members supporting him, but confidently claimed that Muhyiddin’s government had “fallen.”
“With a clear and indisputable support and majority behind me, the government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has fallen,” Anwar told reporters at the Le Meridien.
After Anwar’s announcement, 42 Democratic Action Party parliamentary members declared their support for Anwar’s leadership. UMNO president Zahid Hamidi also revealed to the press today that many of his party members have defected to Anwar’s side.
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