Deadline for Malaysia coalitions to present numbers, propose PM candidates extended to Tuesday: Palace
Rival coalitions Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) initially had until 2pm on Monday to put forward their candidates and numbers, after the general election on Saturday resulted in a hung parliament.
PH, led by long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, was the top performer in Saturday’s electoral contest, clinching 81 seats. An additional seat won by Malaysian United Democratic Alliance’s (MUDA) Syed Saddiq took this tally to 82.
Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional trailed with 73 seats, which means neither coalition had the numbers for an outright majority of 112 seats in a 222-seat parliament.
Barisan Nasional (BN) finished a distant third behind PH and PN, winning 30 parliamentary seats.
Both leading coalitions sought to court potential partners to amass the numbers needed to form the government.
Hours ahead of the deadline on Monday, PH and BN politicians gathered at the Seri Pacific Hotel in Kuala Lumpur for apparent talks.
PH chairman Anwar previously said during a press conference early on Sunday morning that his coalition had secured the simple majority needed to form a government but did not elaborate further.
At the same time, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) on Sunday said that it was ready to enter a coalition with PN, BN and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to form the next federal government.
This was refuted by BN’s Ahmad Zahid in a statement on Sunday evening, who said that his coalition has not held any discussions with GPS.