Muhyiddin Yassin
A staunch Muslim nationalist backed by a scandal-mired party was sworn in as Malaysia's Prime Minister 01 March 2020 after a reformist government's collapse. For the first time since independence, there was no non-Malay party at the core of the government. Bersatu, UMNO and PAS are all Malay-centric parties and all three do not have a single non-Muslim MP. The move forstalled the impending rise to the Prime Minister's office of Anwar Ibrahim, who had campaigned on a platform of fighting corruption and rolling back race-based policies that favor ethnic-majority Malays.
Ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 94, slammed the move as illegal. The Southeast Asian nation was plunged into turmoil after Mahathir's "Pact of Hope" alliance, which stormed to a historic victory in 2018, collapsed amid bitter infighting. He lost in a power struggle to Muhyiddin Yassin, who heads a coalition dominated by the multi-ethnic country's Muslim majority and has faced criticism for controversial remarks about nationality.
Muhyiddin saw the chance to be Malaysia's new prime minister and used his decades of political experience to seize it. The King's decision 29 February 2020 to pick Muhyiddin as prime minister was greeted with shock as Mahathir's allies claimed to have enough support, and it sparked widespread anger that the democratically elected government had been thrown out. Muhyiddin's coalition includes the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party of disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak, as well as a hardline group that wants tougher Islamic laws. UMNO was the corruption-riddled lynchpin of a coalition thrown out at the 2018 elections amid allegations Najib and his cronies looted billions of dollars from state-fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) - an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company. Najib is now on trial for corruption.
Just before Muhyiddin's inauguration, Mahathir accused him of betrayal and said he would seek a parliament vote challenging the new leader's support. Despite a last-minute bid by Mahathir to prove that he had enough support to return as prime minister, Muhyiddin's inauguration went ahead 01 March 2020 at the national palace. His alliance boycotted the ceremony. To become prime minister, a candidate must prove to the King, who appoints the prime minister, that he has the backing of at least 112 MPs.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, 73, was a Member of Parliament for P143 Pagoh from 1978 to 1986 and served as Deputy Federal Territory Minister as well as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry during that period. He was subsequently appointed as the Johor Menteri Besar from 1986 to 1995 after being elected as a Bukit Serampang assemblyman.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin returned to the federal government after being re-elected as a Member of Parliament in the 1995 General Elections. At the 14th General Election, he was also elected as the N09 Gambir Assemblyman. Tan Sri Muhyiddin held the position of President of the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU). After GE14 he was appointed to lead the Home Ministry.
He managed to survive the transition from Mahathir to the next Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, and again when the Prime Ministership passed to Najib Razak. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on 18 March 2008 announced Malaysia's new cabinet. Vice President and former Minister of Agriculture Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed as the new Minister of International Trade and Industry, replacing long-time Minister Rafidah Aziz. Muhyiddin could represent a sense of continuity in US-Malaysian trade relations. He had expressed support for a US-Malaysian Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with U.S. officials in the past as Agriculture Minister. However, in his Agriculture role he also pushed several measures that are probably inconsistent with WTO obligations.
Muhyiddin was the most prominent UMNO leader responsible for forcing Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to agree to step down in favor of Najib after the disastrous March 2008 elections. In September 2008 UMNO management committee leaders pushing for Abdullah's early removal included UMNO VP Muhyiddin Yassin, who indicated March 2009 was the firm deadline for Abdullah's departure. The UMNO Supreme Council postponed party elections from December to March 2009, but apparently with the understanding that Abdullah does not seek reelection. UMNO Vice President and Minister for International Trade and Industry Muhyiddin Yassin publicly urged all UMNO divisions to give "100 percent backing" for Najib to ensure that the leadership transition from Abdullah to Najib "can proceed smoothly." Muhyiddin was widely expected to announce his candidacy for the party's Deputy President post on October 10, and stood as the presumed frontrunner for the deputy slot.
Najib personally but quietly supported Muhyiddin as the choice for Deputy UMNO President after Ali Rustam, Melaka Chief Minister and former UMNO Senior Vice President, was barred from contesting for the post for corruption. During the March 24-28 2009 UMNO General Assembly, Muhyiddin pledged to be "ultra loyal" to Najib. Muhyiddin won the UMNO deputy president post, which by tradition carries with it the Deputy Prime Minister position. In addition, Najib made Muhyiddin Education Minister, an important patronage position but without access to the central levers of power. Observers debate how close Muhyiddin really is to Najib as some consider him as ambitious and a possible rival to Najib under certain circumstances. Some observers have indicated Muhyiddin has yet to completely satisfy Najib of the new DPM's loyalty.
Prime Minister Najib Razak publicly announced his cabinet on 09 April 2009, placing his loyalists in key positions and giving the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party control of 15 out of 24 ministries. Najib officially appointed Muhyiddin Yassin as his Deputy Prime Minister, keeping with the tradition that the UMNO Deputy President serves in this post. Muhyiddin, the previous Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), is also the new Minister of Education. The Education Ministry is not considered as prestigious as MITI, but is still considered moderately important and commands the largest budget of all the ministries. Traditionally, the Deputy Prime Minister has held more politically powerful posts, such as Defense, Home Affairs or Finance; this is not the case with Muhyiddin.
While in Najib’s government as Education Minister, Muhyiddin ended the use of the English language to teach math and science. Muhyiddin said, according to The Guardian: “I wouldn’t say it’s a complete failure but it has not achieved the desired objectives that it was supposed to achieve. The government is convinced that science and maths need to be taught in a language that will be easily understood by students, which is Bahasa Malay in national schools, Mandarin in Chinese schools and Tamil in Tamil schools.”
He courted controversy in 2010, when after being challenged by Democratic Action Party (DAP) veteran Lim Kit Siang to call himself a “Malaysian first”, described himself as a “Malay first.” Muhyiddin said, according to The Star Online: “How can I say I am a Malaysian first and a Malay second. All Malays will shun me and say it’s not proper as Indians will also say they are Indian first.”
Tan Sri Muhyiddin was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia when he joined the Cabinet in 2013. Previously, from 1995 to 2015, he held several positions including; Minister of Youth and Sports, Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Minister of Education and Minister of Education I.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin was previously deputy chairman of the Barisan Nasional from 2009 to 2015. Muhyiddin’s long career seemed over in 2015 when he was sacked by Najib from his post as Deputy Prime Minister. His offence was criticising his boss’s handling of the scandal surrounding 1MDB, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund. He was quoted by The Malaysian Insider as saying: “I told him to let go of his post in 1MDB, but he didn’t want to listen…I don’t have any evil intention, my will is to help him.” His repeated criticism saw him also sacked from his party post by UMNO in June 2016.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin married Puan Sri Hajjah Noorainee Abdul Rahman on September 22, 1972, and was blessed with 4 children. His early career in the public sector began as the Assistant Secretary of State of Johor (Training and Scholarship) in 1970 and later as Assistant District Officer in 1974. He has also held several important corporate sector positions in several state government investment subsidiaries including the Johor Darul Takzim State Economic Development Corporation (PKENJ); now the Johor Corporation (JCorp) from 1974 to 1978.
In Muhyiddin registered a new political party whose name translates to the United Indigenous Party of Malaysia - BERSATU. As the name suggests, it is an explicitly Bumiputera-first policy, with Bumiputeras as full members and non-Bumiputeras only allowed associate membership. Tan Sri Muhyiddin has been with BERSATU since September 2016 and has been elected as the President of BERSATU and the Heads of Pagoh Division in the same year. Muhyiddin served as party president, with his old boss Mahathir as chairman. Bersatu joined forces with Anwar Ibrahim of PKR, Lim Guan Eng of the DAP, and Mohamad “Mat” Sabu of Amanah to form the Pakatan Harapan coalition for the May 2018 general election.
On 24 February 2020, Muhyiddin announced that Bersatu was leaving Pakatan Harapan, triggering the collapse of the government. Muhyiddin, after a career spent serving three different Prime Ministers in four different terms, finally assumed power as Malaysia’s Prime Minister himself. On 1st March 2020, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah appointed Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Well-polished and sophisticated, Muhyiddin is a very credible senior interlocutor, particularly on economic issues, given his strong background as Trade Minister.
Muhyiddin Yassin resigned 16 August 2021, following months of political turmoil. Muhyiddin said he was stepping down after losing majority support in parliament. Muhyiddin was under pressure to resign from both political and civilian fronts. People were angry over his handling of the COVID crisis in the country. Muhyiddin said the recent crisis was because of his refusal to meet certain demands, including dropping corruption charges against some individuals. UMNO lawmakers, including former premier Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are facing graft charges.
The king said Muhyiddin would stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government could be formed. It is not immediately clear who could form the next government, seeing as nobody commands a clear majority. King Al-Sultan Abdullah will likely make a decision in the case. Ordinarily, calling fresh elections would be the alternative option. However, these are considered unlikely at present because of rising COVID cases and economic instability amid the pandemic.
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