PETALING JAYA: It was a whirlwind of events with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announcing his resignation as Prime Minister and then being reappointed to the post in a caretaker capacity.

       The day started with an hour-long Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya with Muhyiddin saying his goodbyes and highlighting the achievements of the Perikatan Nasional government over the past 17 months.

       Former Cabinet ministers also bade farewell with some vowing to continue supporting him, as Muhyiddin left for Istana Negara to tender his resignation as the eighth Prime Minister to the King.

       He informed his former Cabinet and his party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, that he was unable to hold on to his post after failing to get majority support to govern.

       This was after a failed attempt for a bipartisan vote of confidence from the opposition, which had rejected his overture.

       After a brief audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, he returned to his private residence in Bukit Damansara.

       At about 2.45pm, Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, left for the Prime Minister’s Office where he made a televised address to announce his resignation and that he had agreed to stay on as caretaker Prime Minister.

       With editors-in-chief from the media in attendance, Muhyiddin also held a media conference.

       Meanwhile, Bersatu supreme council members, comprising former Cabinet ministers and MPs met other Bersatu MPs who were gathered at the Perikatan headquarters in Damansara.

       It is understood that a headcount was to be taken at the meeting to decide if Bersatu would be backing its president or former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. However, it was not known if Muhyiddin attended the meeting.