VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia’s neighboring country, Malaysia is now in a political crisis. The agreement between Mahathir Muhammad and Anwar Ibrahim ended in a political drama, when Mahathir Muhammad, a 94-year-old senior politician resigned from the position of Prime Minister of Malaysia. Political shocks in Malaysia occurred when Mahathir Muhammad suddenly sent a letter of resignation to the Malaysian King Yang Pertuan Agung Sultan Abdullah on Monday (24/2). Whereas last week, Mahathir said he would continue to become Prime Minister of Malaysia until the holding of the Asia Pacific APEC Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November 2020.

Other political shock after Mahathir Muhammad's resignation was the step taken by Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah. The Malaysian head of state appointed Mahathir Mohammad as an interim Prime Minister. To avoid a government vacuum Mahathir Muhammad was signed to run the government until the election of the new Malaysian Prime Minister and the new cabinet is formed.

Along with Mahathir's appointment as PM ad interim PM, Sultan Abdullah dismissed all cabinet members including Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who is the wife of the President of the People's Justice Party (PKR), Anwar Ibrahim. Before accepting Mahathir Muhammad's resignation, Yang Perttuan Agung Sultan Abdullah had met Anwar Ibrahim and Wan Azizah.

Indications of a political crisis in the neighboring country came as news emerged that Mahathir would form a new coalition which would be supported by the opposition United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). The new coalition will undermine the ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan, which plans to make Anwar Ibrahim the successor to Mahathir Muhammad in May 2020. Anwar Ibrahim who was disappointed, has criticized the political conspiracy that undermined the commitment to make him Prime Minister of Malaysia replacing Mahathir Muhammad. The new coalition is said to be planned to be formed by Mahathir before his resignation as Prime Minister, allowing Economy Minister Azmin Ali to have the chance to replace Anwar Ibrahim. Some even suggested that Azmin Ali, whose was Anwar Ibrahim trusted friend, was the one who suggested a new coalition which Mahathir Muhammad had originally formed and allowed him to become Prime Minister.

Adagium that there are no eternal friends or enemy in politics, there are only interests, can be used as a reference in looking at the political crisis in Malaysia that is still unclear how it will end.