Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim says will form new government

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim staked claim on Wednesday to form a government with majority in Parliament, and said it will be a "strong, stable and formidable" Government.

Anwar said although he was granted an audience with the king on Tuesday, it was postponed because the king was in hospital for treatment. He said hewill not reveal details until after he has met the king.

"Conclusively, we have a strong, formidable majority. I am not talking about four, five or six ... but much more than that," Anwar said.

"With a clear and indisputable support and majority behind me, the government led by ... Muhyiddin Yassin has fallen."

There was no immediate response from Muhyiddin, who is due to give a televised speech later Wednesday. Muhyiddin has been struggling to maintain support amid internal differences in his coalition that has a majority of just two. However, even with that majority, he is entitled to ask the king to dissolve Parliament to seek early general elections.

Anwar has also met with a counter to his claim by Science and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. He tweeted a picture of the Cabinet meeting, saying: "Cabinet meeting just ended. Nothing collapsed or fell."

Anwar is pinning hopes on the king's "sole discretion" but noted that his government will not be an unelected one even though it involves new partners.

Anwar's Alliance of Hope was elected in 2018 but collapsed after Muhyiddin withdrew his party and tied up with corruption-tainted opposition parties to form a Malay-centric government in March.

Then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned in protest, but Anwar said on Wednesday that Mahathir won't be part his new government.

If Anwar gets appointed as prime minister, that will signal a remarkable - and dramatic - comeback for the former deputy prime minister under Mahathir Mohammad. Anwar had fallen out with Mahathir in 1998 and the latter charged him on several counts including sodomy and the former had to serve long jail sentences.

Anwar and his supporters have long denied the sodomy allegations, saying they were doctored to destroy his political career. Yet rather than give up, Anwar ended his feud with Mahathir from his prison cell to forge a new opposition alliance that won a stunning victory in May 2018 national elections.

Mahathir became premier a second time. Anwar was freed with a royal pardon days after the polls and was Mahathir's designated successor before their alliance fell apart.

(With input from PTI)