Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has claimed today the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has refused to grant him audience to prove that Pakatan Harapan and him commands the support of the majority of the Dewan Rakyat.
The interim prime minister also lamented that the rule of law is not being followed, as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will continue to be sworn in as prime minister even when the Pagoh MP allegedly does not have the numbers to back him.
At a press conference this morning, Mahathir said Muhyiddin will be sworn in as the eighth prime minister without commanding majority support.
“The loser would form a government, while the winner will become the opposition.
“It is a very strange situation,” Mahathir told reporters at Yayasan Al Bukhary in Kuala Lumpur.
“The King has made a decision not to see me any more but will appoint Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin as prime minister.
“So, I do not have a chance to tell the King that [Muhyiddin] does not have the majority, that is the situation now. I cannot communicate with the Palace,” he added.
Dr Mahathir and PH had scrambled to assemble a list to prove that he has the nomination of 114 MPs last night, hoping that that would prompt the King to grant the interim prime minister audience, hours after Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billal Shah had consented to Muhyiddin’s appointment.
Muhyiddin was sworn in as the country’s eighth prime minister today.
But the Bersatu president’s position is still far from being secured as PH could still use Parliament channels to oust the Pagoh MP via a motion of no-confidence.
According to Mahathir, the law says that the king can appoint someone who he believes has the support of the majority as prime minister.
The chosen prime minister, however, cannot become one if he goes to the Parliament and gets rejected by the majority.
He said PH would ask for an urgent sitting of the Parliament, where they would see who has the majority.
However, Mahathir added that even though they believe they have the majority now “a lot of things can happen” until the parliamentary sitting, which can make their numbers decline.
Asked if he regrets resigning as the prime minister last Monday, Mahathir said he did not have a choice as Bersatu decided to come out of PH and form a government with Umno.
“That means I have to accept people whom I had been against for corruption.
“That I am not prepared to do. But Muhyiddin is ready to do that.”