PETALING JAYA: Istana Negara is set to be in the spotlight again Tuesday (Aug 17) from 2pm onwards as political party leaders have been summoned to have an audience with the King.
The scenario, which will not be unlike that which took place in February last year after the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government, however, may be a bit more constrained due to the Covid-19 standard operating procedures that have to be observed.
As Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had tendered his resignation as the eight Prime Minister yesterday (Aug 16), the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is duty-bound by the Federal Constitution to find an MP who he believes is able to command the majority support of the 220 MPs of the Dewan Rakyat.
Last night, leaders of Umno, DAP, PAS and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air confirmed that they have received invitations to be at Istana Negara for an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong this afternoon, beginning at 2pm.
Earlier today (Aug 17), Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Seri Azhar Azizah Harun issued a letter to all MPs asking them to send a statutory declaration stating their preferred choice of candidate for the ninth Prime Minister to Istana Negara by Wednesday (Aug 18) 4pm.
In February 2020, after the Sheraton Move, which saw the sudden resignation of then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the King had also met party leaders before deciding to further confirm the support by personally interviewing all the 222 MPs.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that it is likely that the King may repeat the same scenario, to ensure that what the party leaders are informing him are verified by the MPs themselves.
“I am not sure but there is a likelihood as the King may want to be satisfied before he makes a decision (naming the ninth PM,” said Tuan Ibrahim when contacted.
However, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu said he thinks the SDs would suffice for the King to make a decision.
Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming of DAP also said that he thinks the King will not be interviewing all the MPs individually this time.
Another source said the King may have to interview each MP as there are more parties and more splits within parties now than in February last year.
“This time around, Umno is split - the group which is pro-Perikatan Nasional and the group led by its president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Ahmad Zahid has been summoned by the Istana rightly so because he is the president. However, the King may have to also call the other faction of Umno to see if they are with the president,” said the source.
When contacted, Umno vice-president and former Perikatan government’s deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that it will be Ahmad Zahid who will be representing Umno at Istana Negara.
“Only the president for now,” said Ismail, when contacted.
Ismail Sabri is among the names being bandied for the ninth Prime Minister post. Another is Pakatan Harapan's choice and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the PKR president.
In February 2020, the political parties were not only fewer, but it was obvious which MP was aligned to which coalition.
Since then, Bersatu has had a breakaway which includes Pejuang; PKR has had four MPs who broke ranks to become independents aligned to Perikatan, while there are also pocket parties such as yet-to-be-registered Muda which is a one-MP party of Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and the two-MP party of Parti Bersatu Sarawak under Baru Bian.
“Then, there are also a number of new pacts such as Perikatanwhich has Bersatu and PAS as members, the electoral alliance of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah which was made between Sabah’s Barisan Nasional, Perikatan and Parti Bersatu Sabah,” said the source.
The source further said that it may now be more crucial than February 2020 for the King to meet all the MPs to determine who can command the majority of the House.