KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (AP) — Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob struck a conciliatory tone in his first national address yesterday, saying he would embrace the opposition in an effort to tackle the runaway pandemic and revive a slumping economy.
A day after being sworn in, Ismail said the political battles that led to a change of government twice since 2018 elections had been detrimental to the country and distressed the public.
“Let us move forward. Let us stem this grab for political power,” he said, urging all lawmakers to find common ground and work together to help the nation recover.
The new prime minister, 61, said he would invite the opposition to be part of the National Recovery Council and the committee combatting COVID-19.
“Political stability must be swiftly achieved through unity, and this includes cross-party cooperation,” he said.
Many view Ismail’s appointment as a return to the status quo. He was the deputy prime minister under the government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned last Monday after less than 18 months in office as infighting in his coalition cost him majority support.
Ismail has sought to set himself apart from Muhyiddin’s government, which has been blamed for failing to curb the pandemic despite a seven-month state of emergency and a lockdown since June.
Ismail obtained the backing of 114 lawmakers for a slender majority — one that also brought Muhyiddin’s alliance back to power and returned the premiership to Ismail’s United Malays National Organization.
