Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he has majority to govern

Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he has the backing of a majority of lawmakers to become the prime minister, which could pave way for a national snap election.

“We have a strong, formidable majority,” Anwar told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he would soon have an audience with the king. “We need a strong stable government to run this country and to save the country.”

Anwar wouldn’t say how many lawmakers his government would command, but said it was “convincing.” He said it would be inclusive of all races and religions, and there’s no urgency to hold elections.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle had been calling for snap polls recently to settle months of political uncertainty after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin took power with a razor-thin majority earlier this year. Muhyiddin has said he may hold a snap election sooner if his coalition wins the Sabah statewide polls on Saturday.

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