ALL 220 MPs have submitted their statutory declarations (SDs) to Istana Negara by the 4pm deadline to indicate their choice for the prime minister, sources from various parties said.

They added that it was now up to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide who among them has the majority support to become the prime minister and form a new government.

Although there are 222 federal seats in Dewan Rakyat, two seats are presently vacant following the death of the incumbents.

The Malaysian Insight also learned that parties from the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN) ruling pact, including Umno, had submitted 114 SDs in support of Bera MP Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Sources said Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its aligned parties had submitted 105 SDs in favour of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

The identity of the candidate supported by one sole MP is unknown for now.

Ismail was the deputy prime minister in the previous government, which had fallen following the resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister after losing his slim majority. His cabinet also resigned with him.

“Alhamdulillah, settled. We have submitted 114 SDs to Istana Negara,” said a source who was involved in the process of collecting the SDs on behalf of the PN nominee.

All 114 SDs supporting Ismail were submitted to Istana Negara at about 3.30pm.

“This means Anwar’s block has about 105 SD in support. One other MP had abstained from supporting anyone although he had sent in his SD,” said the source.

Anwar has 105

Opposition sources also alluded that Anwar had managed to collect 105 SDs in his support.

Sepanggar MP Azis Jamman revealed on Twitter that all eight of Warisan’s lawmakers had supported Anwar.

“We kept to our word and Warisan has signed its SDs in support of Anwar to ensure the opposition has 105 SDs

“Now it is up to Anwar to get the (necessary) support,” said the Warisan Youth chief.

Warisan president Shafie Apdal, earlier seen as a potential candidate himself for the top post, last night said that his party and Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pejuang, which has four MPs, were ready to support Anwar.

Pejuang information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin meanwhile confirmed that the party’s four MPs had submitted their SDs to Istana Negara at about 3.40pm.

He refused to reveal who they supported but confirmed that the candidate was not from their own party.

Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir last night had said his party would not support anyone who was ready to work with kleptocrats, referring to Umno leaders who were facing criminal trials, including its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak.

None of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmakers contacted wanted to confirm the number of SDs in favour of Anwar.

Bersatu and PAS go with Ismail

PN sources meanwhile said the pact was united in naming Ismail as the new prime minister.

A source said Bersatu had submitted 37 SDs together – 31 from Bersatu, four from former PKR MPs who are independents now, and two from independents from PBS and Star.

“We submitted before 3pm through e-mail.”

PN partner PAS meanwhile had submitted 18 SDs from its MP before 3pm.

Barisan Nasional (BN) with 42 MPs has also been reported to support Ismail to become the new prime minister.

This development came after Umno MP who had rebelled against Muhyiddin, resulting in the fall of his majority, decided to stand together with its remaining MPs to support Ismail Sabri.

The Malaysian Insight also learned that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has submitted 17 SDs from Kuching while another MP from the pact had submitted his SD from Kuala Lumpur.

GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg has refused to reveal its choice of PM

“We leave it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide,” he told reporters in Kuching today.

However senior GPS leaders have indicated their support for Ismail Sabri.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah will now hold a special meeting with the Malay rulers on Friday to decide on who the new prime minister will be. – August 18, 2021.