KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as prime minister on Sunday by the king, after a week of political chaos sparked by the resignation of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad.
The 72-year-old Muhyiddin, interior minister in the government that collapsed last Monday, becomes the Southeast Asian nation’s eighth premier.
Muhyiddin’s swearing in at the nation’s palace put an end to an imbroglio that saw him pitted against Mahathir in a race for parliamentary support.
Under Malaysian law, the king must appoint as premier the person which he believes is able to command a majority in the country’s 222-member lower house.
A statement issued by the palace on Saturday said the king, after meeting all members of parliament has found that the parliamentarian who likely commands the majority is Muhyiddin.
