Malaysian PM Yassin to announce resignation on Monday: Minister

Malaysia's embattled leader will submit his resignation to the king on Monday, a minister said. His resignation would effectively end his government of 17 months and cause fresh upheaval in the country. 

Muhyiddin Yassin has come under pressure to step down since losing his parliamentary majority and also for his administration's response to a worsening Coronavirus outbreak. 

Also read | Malaysia: PM Muhyiddin Yassin defends himself after royal rebuke sparks calls to quit

Making a last-ditch effort to hold on to power, on Friday he offered institutional reforms in exchange for support from the opposition. However, the offer was rejected.

Minister Mohamad Redzuan Yusof told AFP that Muhyiddin informed his party's lawmakers about his resignation at a meeting Sunday in Kuala Lumpur. It would be up to King Mohammed to accept  Muhyiddin's resignation or not, he said at the meeting. 

The prime minister will convene a final cabinet meeting on Monday; he will then present his resignation letter at the palace.

"We did try to convince him to stay on, but he said: 'We do not have the number of MPs.'

In Malaysia, the constitutional monarch appoints the candidate he believes commands majority support in parliament as premier.

Muhyiddin came to power last March without elections after the collapse of Mahathir Mohamad's two-year-old reformist government.

He faced chaos from day one: his government had a weak parliamentary majority, its legitimacy was frequently questioned, and opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim remained a serious challenge.

The concern that polls might worsen a virus outbreak has prompted speculation that, should he resign, the new government will be appointed without elections.

As long as there is no clear successor, there will be days of political horse-trading in parliament before a durable coalition is formed.

(With inputs from agencies)