No decision on PM after palace audience with Anwar, Muhyiddin

Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim today said that no decision had been made on the candidate for prime minister following an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after days of uncertainty following an inconclusive election which resulted in a hung parliament. 

Speaking to reporters outside Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur, he said the Agong had requested for an "inclusive" government and urged all parties to reach an understanding. 

"That would be able to allow the government to focus on resolving the problems of the people and to resuscitate our economy," he said. 

"I expressed gratitude to His Majesty and said we would do our best, and would digest the advice, and wait for the final decision which, is of course, at the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"There has been no decision yet, as of now," he added. "There is currently a vacancy that is open for applications." 

Anwar and his main contender, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, have been neck-to-neck in the race for support following the Nov 19 general election which saw PH winning 82 seats together with youth-based party Muda, and PN winning 73. 

Both claimed to have the numbers needed to form the government – Muhyiddin, with the backing of Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah which won 23 and six seats, respectively. 

But Barisan Nasional, which suffered a tremendous blow in the election, winning only 30 seats, said it would support neither PN nor PH, and that it was content to play the role of opposition. 

It later said that none of its MPs had given their support to Muhyiddin to be made the prime minister, and that it was open to talks with the relevant parties to ensure that a government could be formed for the good of the country.