Why Mahathir resigned as PM and Muhyiddin does not need to

Some are asking why Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin does not just resign as Prime Minister and let the Agong decide what happens next since there is so much chaos going on and attempts to sabotage Budget 2021 as a backdoor vote of no confidence. Well, here are the reasons why.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as Prime Minister in mid-2002 because he was scared of losing the 2004 General Election after doing badly in the 1999 General Election.

Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also resigned in early 2009 for the same reason: he did badly in the 2008 general election and was scared of losing the 2013 General Election.

Che Det and Pak Lah resigned to avoid losing the general election

Muhyiddin Yassin did not do badly in the 2018 General Election and he is not scared of losing the next general election, whenever that may be held. Hence, he does not need to resign like Mahathir and Abdullah did.

The second time around in February 2020, Mahathir resigned as PM because he was hoping to form a new “Malay unity government” without DAP and PKR, who were pressuring him to resign in May 2020 and hand power to Anwar Ibrahim.

Muhyiddin does not need to resign to form a new “Malay unity government” without DAP and PKR as he is already heading a new “Malay unity government” without DAP and PKR. Furthermore, Mahathir does not wish for Anwar to take over as PM9 so if Muhyiddin resigns it is not sure yet who will take over.