Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday (July 7) named defence minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as his deputy, in a move that could ease tensions with a key ally in the ruling coalition. Muhyiddin`s tenure since he came to power in March last year has been plagued by tensions with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party - the largest bloc in the ruling alliance and Malaysia`s biggest party.
Some UMNO lawmakers have repeatedly threatened to withdraw support for Muhyiddin and have been unhappy playing second fiddle to the premier`s own party. Ismail Sabri, a senior UMNO leader, will continue to hold the defence portfolio, Muhyiddin said in a statement. Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, also UMNO party, was appointed as senior foreign minister, the premier said.
Hishammuddin will take on additional responsibilities and help the premier implement a recovery plan for the economy, which has taken a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Muhyiddin has a slim majority in parliament and has so far avoided a confidence vote that opposition lawmakers have called for.
Parliament was suspended in January after Malaysia`s king declared a national emergency on Muhyiddin`s advice, a move that the premier`s critics have described as an attempt to cling to power. A special parliamentary sitting is scheduled for later this month ahead of the end of the emergency on August 1.
