KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) today announced that it is nominating party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the next prime minister of Malaysia.

PPBM secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahya said this was decided at a meeting that was attended by 36 PPBM MPs or members of the Dewan Rakyat.

“The meeting of PPBM Members of Dewan Rakyat today decided to nominate YB Tan Sri Dato’ Hj Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin, Bersatu president and Pagoh MP, as the 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s assent,” he said in a brief statement today.

Bersatu only had 26 MPs before this, but its statement said that 36 of the party’s MPs were present at the meeting.

Checks by Malay Mail showed that the rogue ex-PKR faction led by Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has since joined Bersatu and they are supporting Muhyiddin’s nomination.

An aide of Muhyiddin’s confirmed that all 11 former PKR MPs including Azmin had joined PPBM, but noted that the stated figure of only 36 MPs who backed Muhyiddin was due to one of Azmin’s faction — Ranau MP Jonathan Yasin — being absent from today’s meeting.

Malaysia is currently facing a political crisis, which was triggered by then-PKR deputy president Azmin and vice president Zuraida Kamaruddin were sacked from the party.

They then lead a group of 9 other MPs out of PKR and PH together. Bersatu also announced its pull-out from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

After the Azmin faction and Bersatu left PH, the coalition no longer had the majority support or at least 112 MPs out of the 222-member Dewan Rakyat to remain as the government of the day.

In the political crisis that ensued, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad also quit as prime minister before being installed as the interim prime minister; he had also quit as Bersatu chairman before taking up the party position again yesterday.

No political party or coalition has sufficient numbers now to form a simple majority for federal power.

Istana Negara today announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s efforts to personally interview all MPs had not resulted in the identification of any MP who had the majority support of MPs to be the next prime minister.

The palace also said that it would be asking the leaders of political parties with MPs to nominate their candidate for the next prime minister.