Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he planned to run for his party’s presidency in internal elections next year, just a day after vowing to resign.
According to reports, Muhyiddin said it was time to hand over the leadership of his Bersatu party to a new team, raising questions about who would lead the Malay-dominated opposition alliance given that the former premier is one of its few leaders with broad appeal.
Muhyiddin, who led Malaysia for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, said he made his decision to stay on after consulting his wife.
It remains unclear, however, if any members of Bersatu will challenge him for the presidency during next year’s party elections.
Meanwhile, the opposition gained support among Malaysia’s ethnic-Malay Muslims during regional elections in August and the general election last year.
Its popularity among traditional Malays and young voters is viewed as a threat to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s progressive, multi-ethnic coalition.
Muhyiddin has been the president of Bersatu since its inception in 2016, and he also chairs the opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional.
