THE new prime minister appointed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah must face a vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat as soon as possible, a statement from Istana Negara said.

“The King decrees that the prime minister he appoints according to Article 40(2)(a) and 43(2)(a) of the federal constitution must as soon as possible table a vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat to show that he has the legitimacy and majority support of the Dewan Rakyat,” the statement said.

The statement issued by Comptroller for the Royal Household of Istana Negara, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said the statutory declarations that each of the 220 MPs had been asked to submit to the palace by 4pm stating one prime minister candidate will help the king decide on the appointment. 

The appointment will be discussed when the king chairs a meeting of the Conference of Rulers on Friday.

The palace said that the representatives of political parties who had an audience with the king and the Deputy Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, yesterday, were reminded that all MPs should show bipartisanship and remain united for the country even if their choice of prime minister was not appointed.

“Those who win must extend a hand to work with those who did not succeed and all parties must be willing to work as a team.

“In other words, it is time to stop the winner-takes-all approach in politics,” the palace said.

The Agong held at a 2.30pm meeting yesterday that lasted 90 minutes with leaders of Umno, DAP, PKR, Bersatu, PAS, Amanah, Warisan and Pejuang. A separate audience was held virtually with the component parties of Gabungan Parti Sarawak earlier at 1.40pm.

Officials present at the audiences were the chief secretary to the government, Dewan Rakyat speaker, Dewan Negara president and the attorney-general.

The palace said during the audience, Sultan Abdullah emphasised to the politicians that they must stop burdening the people with constant politicking which has hampered the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ailing economy.

The king also said he wanted all MPs to work in harmony and with honesty so that the people’s welfare was prioritised. Lawmakers must also demonstrate solidarity in meeting the trust given to them as elected representatives.

Sultan Abdullah wanted the welfare of frontline workers to be protected, noting that they were exhausted while healthcare facilities were stretched to breaking point due to the high number of daily Covid-19 cases.

For now, Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob is said to be the frontrunner to be the ninth prime minister, after Umno members closed ranks and agreed to nominate him as their candidate. – August 18, 2021.