Malaysia needs a legitimate government to fight covid-19

“DO NOT DRAG the country again into political uncertainty,” Malaysia’s king, Sultan Abdullah, admonished the country’s parliament this week. It is too late, unfortunately. Ever since Mahathir Mohamad resigned as prime minister in February, politics has been in flux. In theory, the king’s decision to appoint Muhyiddin Yassin to head a new government on March 1st should have put an end to the turmoil. But because Mr Muhyiddin has spent two and a half months in office without proving he has a majority in parliament, the politicking has continued (see article). Indeed, many speculate that the prime minister is avoiding a vote because he might lose it. The only way to stem the scheming is for Mr Muhyiddin to prove them wrong.