Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim waves from a car as he leaves after meeting with Malaysia's King, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah (not pictured) at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on October 13, 2020. (MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday he presented statutory declarations to prove his majority to the king, who he said will now determine whether the opposition leader has enough support from lawmakers to form a new government.

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Anwar said he had the backing of more than 120 lawmakers in the 222-member parliament, adding that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government had lost his majority and should resign. He met the king on Tuesday morning and urged everyone to allow the monarch, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, to carry out his duties.

Anwar said he had the support of more than 120 lawmakers in the 222-member parliament, adding that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government had lost his majority and should resign. He urged everyone to allow the monarch, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, to carry out his duties

“I have presented a list of a convincing majority of Members of Parliament who support me to His Majesty,” Anwar said. “With these documents, it is abundantly clear that we have registered formidable convincing majority among parliamentarians.” 

The king assured him he would respect the constitution, and the issue of a snap election didn’t arise, Anwar added.

The palace disputed Anwar’s assertion he had provided names during their meeting and did not mention any plans for the king to interview party leaders. 

Anwar had presented the king with the number of MPs that he claimed supported him during their meeting that lasted about 25 minutes, Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, the palace’s Comptroller of the Royal Household, said in a statement. “However, he did not provide the list of names of MPs supporting him to strengthen that claim.”

Malaysia’s benchmark stock index rose 0.1 percent as of 2:59 pm local time, erasing an earlier decline of as much as 0.4 percent.

Anwar last month announced he commanded a “formidable majority” of the nation’s 222 lawmakers to oust Muhyiddin, who took power in March by the thinnest of margins after another coalition government collapsed. The current ruling bloc has said the move will fail.

“If the king is not convinced that Muhyiddin has lost his majority, he would stay on as prime minister,” said political analyst Wong Chin Huat. 

Still, the prime minister won’t be out of the woods until at least December. Parliament is set to debate the federal budget for next year beginning November, and losing the budget vote would be similar to losing a vote of no confidence.

King's Options

Anwar on Tuesday reiterated his commitment to institutional reform, judicial independence and the rule of law.

“There’s no question about cutting deals with individuals as alleged by some quarters,” Anwar said.

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The monarch played a key role in interviewing lawmakers back in February after former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned, triggering the instability that has gripped Malaysia for much of the year.

“Frankly, I do not think it will be a smooth and easy ride for Anwar,” said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. It’s unlikely Anwar will succeed as the government would’ve used resources to lure back defectors from the time Anwar first staked claim to power three weeks ago, he said.

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‘Desperate Move’

“PAS is very confident that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong won’t entertain this desperate move,” Parti Se-Islam Malaysia, a coliation partner, said in a statement Sunday.

The Barisan Nasional coalition supports Muhyiddin as prime minister and won’t work with Anwar, its secretary-general Annuar Musa wrote on Facebook. Annuar is also a party leader of the United Malays National Organisation, which Muhyiddin counts among his biggest supporters.

The Malaysian Chinese Association, one of the grouping’s members, in a separate statement said the party will not join or participate in any plans by Anwar to form a new government.

A snap election risks worsening Malaysia’s coronavirus outbreak. New infections surged to record-highs weeks after a state election held in Sabah last month, fueled by politicians who failed to follow social distancing guidelines when campaigning in the eastern state.

READ MORE: Malaysian PM: Anwar should prove majority in parliament

The government Monday imposed curbs on movement in its capital city of Kuala Lumpur, administrative capital Putrajaya and in the states of Selangor and Sabah, as the virus spread. The restrictions also pulled the nation’s key stock index down 0.8 percent at the close.