Malaysia Prime Minister’s Survival Hinges on Passing Budget
- PM Muhyiddin Yassin must shore up support to stay in power
- Embattled government retains support of key ally, for now
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A year of turmoil in Malaysia is coming down to a budget vote in the next few weeks that will double as a test of confidence in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, whose seven-month-old administration is hanging by a thread.
Since taking power in March following the collapse of another coalition government, Muhyiddin has only proved his majority a handful of times while maneuvering to avoid similar tests. He suffered a loss of prestige last month when Malaysia’s king rejected his request to declare a state of emergency to tackle the pandemic, which would’ve allowed him to pass a budget without approval from lawmakers.