ANNUAR Musa has urged MPs to stay away from Parliament on Monday, as no notice has been issued by the speaker for them to attend a sitting to choose the next prime minister.

The Umno secretary-general said summoning lawmakers for the purpose would pre-empt the king, who has yet to make an announcement on the matter.

“All MPs must say no to the special March 2 sitting announced by the interim prime minister… it is unconstitutional, procedurally improper and disrespects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he tweeted today.

Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin, in a statement, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s powers are limited, and calling on Parliament to pick a leader is not within the interim prime minister’s authority.

“His action (to call for Parliament to convene on Monday) is not within his powers,” he said, adding that the power to appoint a prime minister rests entirely with the Agong, not Parliament.

Khaled said he believes the king will address Dr Mahathir’s mistake.

Dr Mahathir yesterday said a special Dewan Rakyat sitting will convene for a vote on who commands majority support in the House.

Despite two days of interviewing MPs on who they support for the top job, he said, the Agong has failed to find a leader with a distinct majority.

If the special sitting fails to reach an agreement, snap elections will be held.

Meanwhile, Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof said all processes related to the election of a new prime minister in the Dewan Rakyat will be determined only after official notification on the sitting is received from the interim prime minister.

Political parties are expected to convene special meetings today to discuss their next course of action. – February 28, 2020.