According to the palace, King Muhammad V of Malaysia has called for a meeting of the country’s royal rulers to take place on Thursday in order to break a political stalemate that has left the country without a working government for several days after elections that did not produce a clear winner.
Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition, and Muhyiddin Yassin, a former prime minister, are still the most likely candidates to be the next leader.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is the King of Malaysia, has the power to choose the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Prime Minister must be someone who the King believes has the support of the majority of Malaysia’s MPs.
According to a statement released by the palace on Wednesday, the gathering of the country’s Malay rulers is meant to help the monarch “make the decision for the welfare and well-being of the country and the people.”
The throne of the constitutional monarchy of Malaysia is passed from one ruler of one of Malaysia’s nine states to another every five years. These rulers come from families that have ruled their respective states for hundreds of years.
Since 1957, when Malaysia gained its independence from Britain, this system has been in existence.