KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will resign on Monday, news portal MalaysiaKini reported, after he lost his majority due to infighting in the ruling coalition.
The resignation, if confirmed, would end a tumultuous 17 months in office for Muhyiddin but also bring more uncertainty to Malaysia as the country grapples with a COVID-19 surge and economic downturn.
It was not immediately clear who could form the next government as no lawmaker has a clear majority in parliament, or if elections could be held in Malaysia amid the pandemic.
It would be up to the constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, to decide what happens next.
Muhyiddin will submit his resignation to the king on Monday, according to Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, a minister in the prime minister’s department, Malaysiakini reported on Sunday.
Reuters could not immediately reach Mohd Redzuan. The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond.
Mohd Redzuan said Muhyiddin informed party members of his decision to resign as he had exhausted all other options to sustain the government.
“Tomorrow, there will be a special cabinet meeting. After that, he will head to (the palace) to submit his resignation,” Mohd Redzuan told Malaysiakini.
Muhyiddin’s grip on power has been precarious since he came to power in March 2020 with a slim majority. Pressure on him mounted recently after some lawmakers from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party — the largest bloc in the ruling alliance — withdrew support.
The premier had for weeks defied calls to quit and said he would prove his majority in parliament through a confidence vote in September.
But on Friday, Muhyiddin admitted for the first time he did not have a majority and made a last ditch effort to woo the opposition by promising political and electoral reforms in exchange for support on the confidence vote. The offer was unanimously rejected.
The king has the constitutional power to appoint a prime minister from among elected lawmakers based on who he thinks can command a majority. He picked Muhyiddin as premier last year after the unexpected resignation of Mahathir Mohamad.
Malaysia PM Muhyiddin Yassin to resign on Monday — report
https://arab.news/2g8cc
Malaysia PM Muhyiddin Yassin to resign on Monday — report
- The resignation, if confirmed, would end a tumultuous 17 months in office for Muhyiddin
Islamophobic attacks on public transport growing in UK
- Muslim travelers restricting journeys over fear of abuse and assault, community groups warn
- Authorities must ‘take urgent and meaningful action,’ says British Muslim Trust CEO
LONDON: Islamophobic attacks are on the rise on public transport across Britain, according to new information revealed by The Guardian, as community organizations warn that Muslims are restricting their journeys over fear of abuse and assault.
A freedom of information request showed that racial hate crimes recorded by British Transport Police across England, Wales and Scotland grew from 2,827 cases in 2019-2020 to 3,258 in 2024-25.
The environment of public transport “creates a particular dynamic where aggressors are often emboldened by alcohol, can isolate their targets and then exit at the next stop,” The Guardian reported.
Hate crimes of a religious nature climbed from 343 cases in 2019-20 to 419 in 2023-24.
Akeela Ahmed, CEO of the British Muslim Trust, said the data reflects the stories her organization has collected from Muslims across the country.
She urged local authorities, transport operators and community safety groups to “take urgent and meaningful action” to address the issue.
“For visible Muslims in particular, the top deck of a bus or a half-empty train carriage can mean threatening behaviour, verbal abuse or even violent attack simply because of their faith,” Ahmed said, adding that Islamophobic attacks on public transport reported to the BMT are “some of the most complex and distressing cases we have handled to date.
“Many Muslims now feel compelled to micro-analyse every movement, expression or gesture out of fear that it may be misinterpreted, recorded and weaponised against them.”
A significant number of physical and verbal attacks against Muslims target children traveling to and from school, Ahmed said, describing this trend as the “most alarming” of all.
“The lack of CCTV coverage on buses and at many stops means perpetrators routinely evade accountability,” she added.
Carol Young, deputy director of the Coalition for Racial Equality, said the recorded figures cited by The Guardian “are probably the tip of the iceberg,” adding: “Anecdotally, we know that using public transport may not feel safe for everyone and some people may avoid using it or restrict their use to certain times of day.”
In response to a request by The Guardian for comment, a spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Abuse, intimidation and violence — especially that which is motivated by hate — will never be tolerated, and we have acted swiftly and decisively when we receive reports of hate crimes on the rail network.
“If you are a victim of hate crime, or if you witness an incident that makes you feel uncomfortable, please do not suffer in silence.”
