2020 Malaysian political crisis

The presidential council of Pakatan Harapan held a late-night meeting to discuss handing over power from Mahathir Mohamad to Anwar Ibrahim, who was coined as the "Prime Minister-in-waiting" as promised in the 2018 election. It was reported that Anwar conceded to Mahathir to allow the latter to choose his date to resign as the prime minister after APEC Malaysia 2020 in November.[30][31][32] However, reports suggested that the meeting was tense and heated during the discussion about Mahathir's departure date.[33][34] Later in May, a leaked audiotape of the meeting revealed Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq and PKR deputy president Azmin both warned Mahathir that he would be a "lame-duck prime minister" if he agreed to a timeline. Anwar's supporters from PKR believed that he should become prime minister based on the originally promised deadline of two years within Pakatan Harapan's election win on 9 May 2020.[35]

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Mahathir had planned to block Anwar from becoming prime minister, with the plan to be carried out after APEC. However, Anwar's supporters' demand for Mahathir to pick a date for the handing over resulted in the latter's allies to move up their plan, which was carried out on 23 February.[36]

On 23 February 2020, several political parties held extraordinary meetings. Bersatu at its headquarters at Menara Yayasan Selangor in Petaling Jaya, Muafakat Nasional pact of UMNO and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) had a retreat in Janda Baik, Pahang, UMNO's supreme council at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)'s members of the parliament (MPs) in Kuala Lumpur.[37]

The Putra World Trade Center building where UMNO's supreme council had held their meeting.

Azmin Ali, the deputy president of PKR and the Minister of Economic Affairs, also held a meeting with several lawmakers from the party and twenty others at Sheraton Hotel in Petaling Jaya, amidst rumours that the formation of a new governing coalition was being undertaken.[38] The event was widely reported on local media as Langkah Sheraton or the Sheraton Move.[39][40][41]

Azmin and his faction in PKR went to the Istana Negara in the evening to seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Leaders from five other political parties; Bersatu's Muhyiddin Yassin, also the Minister of Home Affairs, UMNO's Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, PAS's Hadi Awang, GPS's Abang Johari Openg and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan)'s Shafie Apdal were also in attendance.[42] It was speculated that the leaders were there to brief the Agong about the recent political development; formation of a new coalition government and to declare their support for a new prime minister, effectively blocking PKR's president Anwar Ibrahim from the position.[43][44] After the meeting, several opposition party leaders, including UMNO's Ismail Sabri Yaakob and PAS's Hadi Awang, joined Azmin's supporters at Sheraton Hotel.[45]

In a Facebook Live broadcast of a night prayer session at Anwar's residence, Anwar said that someone had informed him that a "treachery" was committed involving "former friends from Bersatu and a small group from PKR".[46] Later, Azmin, in a statement, claimed that his action was to protect Mahathir, who was forced to choose a date for the transition of power during Pakatan Harapan presidential meeting on 21 February. The statutory declaration (SD) presented to the Agong was to cement support for Mahathir, not to elect a new prime minister.[47] He further said that the real traitor was the faction that tried to usurp Mahathir.[48]

On the morning, Anwar Ibrahim; the deputy prime minister, Wan Azizah Ismail, also Anwar's wife; the president of Amanah, Mat Sabu; and the secretary general of DAP, Lim Guan Eng, met Mahathir at his residence to seek clarification regarding the incident.[49] Anwar later stated that he was satisfied with the meeting outcome, as Mahathir had clarified that he had nothing to do with the pact to make a new coalition government.[50][51]

PKR held a press conference at 2 pm where its general secretary, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, announced that Azmin and the Minister of Housing and Local Government, Zuraida Kamaruddin, also the vice president of PKR, had been dismissed by the party.[52] Saifuddin explained that they were expelled due to their actions on 23 February which was against the party's principle regarding the position of prime minister.[53] Azmin later announced that he would be forming an independent bloc at the parliament along with Zuraida and other nine MPs. They had decided to exit the party following his expulsion.[54]

In the afternoon of 24 February, the prime minister's office confirmed that Mahathir had sent his resignation letter to the Agong. Half an hour later, he also announced his resignation from his position as chairman of Bersatu after Muhyiddin declared the party's withdrawal from Pakatan Harapan coalition.[55] The Agong tried to convince Mahathir against resigning, but the latter insisted.[56] The Agong then accepted his resignation and appointed him as the interim prime minister until a new prime minister is chosen.[57] The Cabinet of Malaysia was dissolved, per Article 43(5) of the Constitution of Malaysia.[58][59] Pakatan Harapan lost its majority in the parliament after Bersatu and Azmin Ali's-led PKR faction of eleven MPs withdrew from the coalition at 2 pm.[60] A representative of the palace then announced that the Agong would interview all 221 MPs, excluding Mahathir, to weigh their support for prime minister candidates.[61] The interview sessions were held on 25 and 26 February, with 90 MPs on the former and 131 MPs on the latter.[62]

At 9 pm, Bersatu leaders held an emergency meeting at its headquarters to discuss the party's future direction.[63] Members of Bersatu rejected Mahathir's resignation as the party's chairman and pledged their support to be the prime minister. The party's secretary-general Marzuki Yahya said that the Bersatu's supreme council members were unanimous in their support for Mahathir.[64]

On 25 February, Agong summoned 90 MPs to have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Starting from 2:30 pm, the Agong spend two to three minutes interviewing each MPs.[65] Following the first round of interviews, UMNO and PAS revealed that they have withdrawn their supports given earlier for Mahathir to continue as prime minister, and had instead called for parliament dissolution.[66] It was previously reported that as all political factions voiced their support for Mahathir, he was about to establish a "unity government" that the two parties could not agree with.[67][68] Annuar Musa, UMNO's secretary-general, said the basis of negotiations with Mahathir was that UMNO and PAS would lend their support to form an alternative coalition without DAP. Therefore, both PAS and UMNO declared their support for a snap election instead.[69]

An emergency Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting was held at PKR's headquarters in Petaling Jaya at night.[70] Pakatan Harapan parties; DAP, PKR and Amanah invited Mahathir to the meeting in order to restore the previous government but Mahathir did not attend the joint meeting.[71]

On 3 February 2021, Mahathir claimed that when the Pakatan Harapan MPs made their statutory declaration in front of the Agong, they did not name him as their candidate. Anwar had convinced PH MPs that he had sufficient support from Sabah and Sarawak MPs and PH MPs to have a majority to become Prime Minister. Mahathir said that "only DAP, Amanah, and his faction of his PKR" supported Anwar. Anwar gets 92 supports while Mahathir managed to get only 62. "When Muhyiddin was named Prime Minister he did not have majority support. But upon his appointment he was able to offer places in his cabinet to the members who supported me. They crossed over and Muhyiddin achieved a majority of two", Mahathir wrote on his blog. [72]

Interim Prime Minister Mahathir addressed the nation at 4.45 pm on the political situation. He began his speech by apologising to Malaysians for the current impasse before confirming speculation that he wanted to form a unity government, saying the new administration would focus on national interests instead of political parties. Mahathir denied allegations of being obsessed with power, and reiterated his refusal to work with UMNO. Mahathir made no mention of Anwar Ibrahim or the agreement to pass the leadership baton to Anwar as agreed with the 21st February meeting. Mahathir instead said the decision was up to the Dewan Rakyat.[73]

Pakatan Harapan announced that they were nominating PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister following the previous night's meeting, despite publicly declaring support for Mahathir earlier, following Mahathir's televised speech.[74][75] DAP lawmakers said Pakatan Harapan decided against a non-partisan "Mahathir government" as this would not be beholden to any party or coalition, which would give Mahathir free rein to do as he wanted.[76]

In the morning of 27 February, Mahathir once again went to the palace for an audience with the Agong. The content of the meeting was unknown although it was said to discuss a formation of new cabinet.[77] In the afternoon, the secretary general of Bersatu, Marzuki Yahya, confirmed that Mahathir had withdrawn his resignation as the chairman of Bersatu.[78] In an unrelated press conference in the evening of 27 February, Mahathir revealed that the Agong "cannot find anyone with a distinct majority" to be elected as the Prime Minister and that a special session of parliament would be held on 2 March to address the predicament. If all else failed, he hinted that there would be a snap election.[79]

Istana Negara, the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong

A special Conference of Rulers meeting was held on the morning of 28 February at the Istana Negara to discuss the current political climate in the country, with all state rulers or their crown princes in attendance.[80] They were also joined by General Affendi Buang, the Chief of Defence Forces, and Abdul Hamid Bador, the Inspector-General of Police.[81]

Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, the speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, contradicted Mahathir's previous announcement regarding the special sitting of the parliament. Ariff said that he had received a letter from Mahathir stating that the government agreed for a sitting to be called on 2 March but it did not adhere to parliamentary Standing Orders.[82] In the evening, the palace released a statement saying that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong will call the leaders of political parties who have members in the parliament for an audience, to allow them to nominate their candidates for the position of prime minister to break the impasse. It also confirmed that the Agong had not found a candidate who has the confidence of the majority of the MPs to form a new government.[83]

Bersatu then released a statement announcing their support for the party's president, Muhyiddin Yassin as the 8th Prime Minister, backed by the 26 Bersatu MPs and 10 others led by Azmin.[84] Further 60 MPs from UMNO, PAS, Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) also announced their support for Muhyiddin.[85] All the Muafakat Nasional MPs had also signed the new statutory declarations proposing Muhyiddin to be the next prime minister.[86] Muhyiddin Yassin's aide also confirmed that Azmin Ali and 10 other former PKR MPs have officially joined Bersatu.[87] However, Bersatu Supreme Council member Kadir Jasin claimed he was never invited for a discussion or informed about Muhyiddin's nomination.[88]

Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq declared that he would never work with those involved in corruption to form a government, referring to UMNO. Bersatu's youth wing Armada also posted a statement to say that it would continue to back the party's supreme council's decision in its meeting on 24 February to support Mahathir as prime minister, suggesting a split within Bersatu over Mahathir and Muhyiddin's candidacy.[89]

In the morning of 29 February, the Pakatan Harapan presidential council held a meeting to discuss the current political situation. They then announced their full support for Mahathir as the 8th Prime Minister, thus reversing the coalition's nomination of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim for Prime Minister.[90] Following the announcement, Mahathir expressed confidence that he had the majority support to form the government and could be appointed as the prime minister for the third time after receiving assent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.[91] In the afternoon, Anwar, as a representative of Pakatan Harapan went to Istana Negara to inform the Agong of the nomination changes.[92]

Meanwhile, Bersatu's Muhyiddin Yassin and his allies including party leaders from UMNO, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), and Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR) had an audience with the Agong.[93][94] He also announced that his coalition consisting of Bersatu, UMNO, PAS, PBRS, GPS, and STAR will be called Perikatan Nasional.[95] The new coalition claimed that they have majority support in parliament to elect a Prime Minister and to form a government.[96]

Meanwhile, in Sarawak, Chong Chieng Jen who is vice-chairperson of DAP as well as chairman of DAP Sarawak, said that they are willing to make concessions and work together with the GPS state government. The main purpose for this was to preserve the PH federal government.[97] Chief Minister, Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg snubbed Chong's peace gestures to the state coalition. He recalled past remarks by the DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, condemning that the state will go bankrupt in the next three years.[98] PKR announced that GPS MP Richard Riot Jaem had defected to join the party.[99] However, he had denied the allegation, stating that he is still a member of GPS component party, Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP), and had merely voiced out his support for Mahathir.[100]

In the evening, the royal palace released a statement saying that Muhyiddin, in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's judgment, is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the MPs and is to be appointed as the 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia. The swearing-in ceremony will be held in the morning of 1 March in the Istana Negara.[101]

Late in the night, Mahathir, in a final attempt to challenge Muhyiddin's appointment, published a list of 115 Members of Parliament whom he claimed was supporting him and enclosed the list with a letter to be delivered to the Agong following a Pakatan Harapan meeting. Notable MPs who were in the list are Mahathir, his son Mukhriz Mahathir and 4 other Bersatu MPs, members of Warisan, Jeffrey Kitingan of STAR, Maximus Ongkili of Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS), Baru Bian and Jonathan Yasin who were previously in Azmin's bloc. However, the list was disputable as some MPs had denied backing Mahathir and some were ambiguous about their allegiance.[102] Furthermore, Shamrahayu Abd Aziz, an academic and an expert on the constitution also stated that any statutory declaration signed after the Agong's announcement will not make a difference, and the legal way to challenge Muhyiddin's appointment is through a vote of non-confidence in the Dewan Rakyat.[103]

Minutes before the swearing ceremony of Muhyiddin, Mahathir said in a press conference that the Istana Negara had refused to grant him audience to prove that Pakatan Harapan commanded the support of the majority of the Dewan Rakyat.[104] He expressed disappointment towards Muhyiddin, who he alleges had been working on forming a government without Pakatan Harapan "for a long time". Mahathir also revealed that the confusion over the status of his chairmanship of Bersatu allowed Muhyiddin to appoint himself as the chairman, which he claimed was an illegal move.[105]

Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as the eighth prime minister in front of the Agong at the Istana Negara on the morning of 1 March 2020.[106]

Perdana Putra in Putrajaya.

On the morning of 2 March, Muhyiddin arrived at the Perdana Putra building, which functions as the Prime Minister's Office, to begin his official duties as the Prime Minister. Muhyiddin held meetings with Chief Secretary Mohd Zuki Ali, General Affendi Buang, the Chief of Defence Forces, and Abdul Hamid Bador, the Inspector-General of Police.[107] Later that night, Muhyiddin addressed the nation in his first televised message as the prime minister. In his address, he told the nation that he had no prior intention to become the prime minister and denied being a traitor but due to the political turmoil in the country, he had stepped up in order to avoid prolonging the crisis further. He also reassured that he will only choose individuals who are clean, virtuous and of high calibre to be in his cabinet. Before ending his message, he thanked former prime minister Mahathir for his service to the country.[108]

The Malaysian Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, which hosts the Dewan Rakyat

On 4 March, the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof announced that the Dewan Rakyat sitting which was originally scheduled to start on 9 March has been postponed to 18 May at the direction of Muhyiddin.[109] The action was taken to allow the new prime minister to form his cabinet and for the newly appointed ministers to familiarise themselves with their ministry before the parliament sitting.[110] However, PKR MP Wong Chen criticised Muhyiddin's move to delay opening of parliament, saying that it is a clear sign of weakness as he is unable to form a cabinet in a swift manner.[111]

Speaker Mohamad Ariff announced on 7 May that he had received a letter on 1 May from Warisan leader Shafie Apdal seeking to table a motion of confidence in Dr Mahathir to show that he could command a majority in the Dewan Rakyat. The Speaker replied in a letter to Shafie that it was not in line with Article 43 of the Federal Constitution because it questioned the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to appoint the prime minister.[112] On the other hand, Mahathir seeks a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin as prime minister through a letter addressed to Ariff on 4 May.[113] On 8 May, the Speaker accepted Dr Mahathir's motion and it will be debated when Parliament resumed on 18 May.[114]

In a Facebook Live session on 7 May, Anwar Ibrahim announced that he would be the new Leader of the Opposition for Pakatan Harapan in the new session of Parliament.[115]

The speaker announced on 13 May that on the directions of the government, the parliament sitting on 18 May will only convene for a speech by the Agong opening the new session, with no meeting after the speech. This meant that Mahathir's no confidence motion would not be debated.[116] Secretary to the Dewan Rakyat, Riduan Rahmat who was appointed on 22 February two days before the Sheraton Move, was demoted to Dewan Negara management secretary on 14 May.[117] A source alleged that the secretary had attempted to keep the motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin by Mahathir and Shafie a secret, leading to his demotion.[117] In response, both Mahathir and Shafie along with Pakatan Harapan leaders condemned the move in a joint statement and accused the Perikatan Nasional government of being afraid to face the opposition in parliament.[118]

The Agong addressed the Malaysian Parliament on 18 May. He addressed the political crisis by recounting that he tried to convince then-PM Mahathir not to resign but had no choice but to accept it as the latter insisted on resigning.[119] The Agong ended his speech by calling on politicians not to drag the country into any further political crisis when there was already a COVID-19 pandemic crisis.[120]

The new seating arrangement in the Dewan Rakyat suggested that the Perikatan government had 113 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, after Masir Kujat of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) clarified that he was not supporting the government, and remained as opposition in federal and state levels.[121] In a press conference attended by Mahathir, Shafie Apdal, Mukhriz Mahathir, Lim Guan Eng and Mat Sabu following the parliamentary seating, Mahathir insisted that Bersatu is still a component of Pakatan Harapan as its Supreme Council never decided to exit the coalition. In a leaked audio tape of the supreme council meeting in February, Muhyiddin had allegedly given Mahathir a week to decide on the party's direction as its chairman. "But before the one-week period, he took action as if he was not in PH. This goes against the party constitution and (any) approval by PPBM (sic) Supreme Council," said Mahathir.[122] Notably, neither Anwar nor any representatives of PKR attended the press conference.

Mahathir Mohamad, Mukhriz Mahathir, Syed Saddiq, Maszlee Malik and Amiruddin Hamzah were expelled from Bersatu on 28 May.[123] They decried the move as illegal and reflective of Muhyiddin's insecurities and dictatorial leadership. In a joint statement, they disputed the interpretation of their decision not to join Muhyiddin's government benches in Parliament as joining another party, which results in automatic revocation of memberships, according to the Bersatu party constitution.[124] However, Muhyiddin defended the moves and insisted that the five members who were sacked as having breached the party constitution by sitting with the opposition in Parliament.[125]

Azhar Azizan Harun, the newly elected speaker of Dewan Rakyat

Speaker Mohamad Ariff was removed from his position on the next parliamentary sitting on 13 July by a margin of two votes, 111 to 109 and the former Election Commission (EC) chairman Azhar Azizan Harun was appointed as the Dewan Rakyat's new Speaker. Azhar's appointment took place amidst a shouting match between Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional MPs, after he was sworn in without a voting session by lawmakers, similar to the process undertaken to remove incumbent Speaker. However, in his press conference with the media later, Azhar insisted that his appointment was legitimate, saying that there is no need for a voting session in the Lower House, as there was only one nominee.[126][127] The Deputy Speaker, Nga Kor Ming announced his resignation in solidarity with Speaker Ariff. With the resignation of Nga, Prime Minister Muhyiddin announced Azalina Othman Said to replace Nga, making her the first female Deputy Speaker.[128][129]

On 23 September, at a press conference at noon, Anwar Ibrahim, Leader of the Opposition, Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and People's Justice Party (PKR), speaking to reporters, announced and claimed that he had commanded a "strong, formidable, convincing majority" and further claimed that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal administration led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin "has fallen".[130][131] However, Anwar also revealed that his planned audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday on 22 September had been postponed due to the hospitalisation of the Agong to receive treatment for food poisoning and sports injury at the National Heart Institute (IJN) on 21 September.[132] When Anwar Ibrahim met the Agong on 13 October, he presented the number of 120 MPs to the Agong but did not submit the names of all the MPs supporting him.[133]

On 13 December 2020, UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah held a joint press conference with his longtime rival Mahathir Mohamad, where he publicly declared his rejection of the 2021 budget tabled by Muhyiddin and both men declared the PN government illegitimate.[134] Razaleigh did not attend the subsequent budget vote held on 14 December, which was won by the government with 111 ayes against 108 nays.[135]

With building dissatisfaction within the party ranks over a number of issues, Members of Parliament from UMNO began to publicly call for withdrawal from the PN coalition government. Minister of Federal Territories Annuar Musa, who was firm in his stance of "no Anwar, no DAP" with regards to political cooperation, was sacked on 5 January 2021 as Barisan Nasional Secretary General. Annuar's successor Ahmad Maslan publicly called for a general election and labeled ongoing court cases against leading UMNO figures as "cruel".[136] Annuar himself later alleged in a press conference that a number of UMNO MPs backed by UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi are planning on leaving Perikatan Nasional to form a coalition government with DAP and possibly other PH component parties.[137] The statement was denied by both former Prime Minister Najib Razak[138] and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng.[139]

Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub held a press conference to personally and publicly announced his withdrawal of support for the PN government and resignation as Chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and declared he was no longer aligned with PN as an MP although his coalition is, on 9 January 2021, resulting in further collapse of the PN administration led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin after PN lost the majority support by commanding the support of only 110 out of 220 MPs (at least 111) in the Dewan Rakyat, Parliament. His withdrawal of support is the second one from his coaliton after the withdrawals of support of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang MP). [140] Jazlan cited Bersatu's repeated attempts to "bully" UMNO as the primary reason for withdrawing support.

On 12 January, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to a national emergency proclamation under Article 150 of the Malaysian Constitution to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, effective from 12 January 2021 to 1 August 2021. With the proclamation, parliament is officially suspended and no snap elections can be held.[141] Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz held a press conference on the same day to publicly and personally announce his withdrawal of support, declaring he was no longer aligned with PN as an MP although his coalition is, resulting in further collapse of the PN administration led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin after PN lost the majority support by garnering the support of only 109 out of 220 MPs (at least 111) in the Dewan Rakyat, Parliament. His withdrawal of support is the third one from his coalition after the withdrawals of support of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang MP) and Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang MP). Nazri told the press that the proclamation is only further evidence that Muhyiddin is unable to prove he commands majority support in parliament if a confidence motion was held.[142]

On 18 January 2021, Khairuddin Abu Hassan sued Muhyiddin and his adminisitration over the latter's announcment of a nationwide state of emergency. Khairuddin believes that what Muhyiddin was unlawful and unconstitutional, since Muhyiddin had already lost the majority needed to hold government. [143]

On 23 January 2021, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says up to 115 MPs are against the proclamation of the emergency. Media reports had previously claimed that many MPs had submitted an appeal letter to the King to end the state of emergency imposed on Jan 13 to fight Covid-19. The opposition claimed the prime minister's move was only to hold on to power, with Parliament suspended.[144]

List of seats that changed allegiance in the Dewan Rakyat

No.	Seat	Member	Previous Party (GE14 Result)		Previous Party (before February 2020)		Current Party (as of September 2020)
P004	Langkawi	Mahathir Mohamad		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pejuang[145]
P005	Jerlun	Mukhriz Mahathir		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pejuang[145]
P006	Kubang Pasu	Amiruddin Hamzah		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pejuang[145]
P027	Tanah Merah	Ikmal Hisham		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[146]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P030	Jeli	Mustapa Mohamed		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[147]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P038	Hulu Terengganu	Rosol Wahid		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[148]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P042	Tasek Gelugor	Shabudin Yahaya		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[146]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P047	Nibong Tebal	Mansor Othman		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P056	Larut	Hamzah Zainudin		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[148]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P058	Bagan Serai	Azmi Ghazali		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[150]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P059	Bukit Gantang	Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Independent[151]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[152]
P063	Tambun	Ahmad Faizal Azumu		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P082	Indera Mahkota	Saifuddin Abdullah		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P092	Sabak Bernam	Fasiah Fakeh		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[148]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P093	Sungai Besar	Muslimin Yahaya		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P098	Gombak	Azmin Ali		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P099	Ampang	Zuraida Kamaruddin		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P115	Batu	P. Prabakaran		Independent		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)
P119	Titiwangsa	Rina Harun		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P124	Bandar Tun Razak	Kamarudin Jaffar		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P129	Kuala Pilah	Eddin Syazlee Shith		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P134	Masjid Tanah	Ermieyati Samsudin		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[148]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P135	Alor Gajah	Redzuan Yusof		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P140	Segamat	Edmud Santhara		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[153]
P143	Pagoh	Muhyiddin Yassin		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P146	Muar	Syed Saddiq		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		MUDA[145][154]
P149	Sri Gading	Shahruddin Md Salleh		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[155]		Pejuang[156]
P150	Batu Pahat	Rashid Hasnon		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P151	Simpang Renggam	Maszlee Malik		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)		Independent[157]
P154	Mersing	Abdul Latiff Ahmad		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[148]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P166	Labuan	Rozman Isli		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Warisan[158]		Warisan
P167	Kudat	Abdul Rahim Bakri		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[159]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P168	Kota Marudu	Maximus Ongkili		Barisan Nasional (PBS)		PBS[160]		PBS
P170	Tuaran	Wilfred Madius Tangau		Barisan Nasional (UPKO)		UPKO[161]		UPKO
P177	Beaufort	Azizah Dun		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[159]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P178	Sipitang	Yamani Musa		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[159]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P179	Ranau	Jonathan Yasin		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P183	Beluran	Ronald Kiandee		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[159]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P184	Libaran	Zakaria Edris		Barisan Nasional (UMNO)		Pakatan Harapan (Bersatu)[159]		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)
P198	Puncak Borneo	Willie Mongin		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P202	Sri Aman	Masir Kujat		Barisan Nasional (PRS)		PSB[162]		PSB
P203	Lubok Antu	Jugah Muyang		Independent		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Independent)[152]
P205	Saratok	Ali Biju		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu)[149]
P209	Julau	Larry Sng		Independent		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)
P214	Selangau	Baru Bian		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		Pakatan Harapan (PKR)		PSB[163]

The Deputy Works Minister Shahruddin Md Salleh of Bersatu resigned from his ministerial position on 4 June, calling his decision to join the Perikatan Nasional government "incorrect" and adding that he should have considered his constituents who "voted for Pakatan Harapan" in 2018.[164] On 19 July, his Bersatu membership was terminated because he issued a notice to change the position of his seat in the Dewan Rakyat from the government bloc to the opposition bloc.[165]

On 5 June, Member of Parliament (MP) for Lubok Antu, Jugah Muyang resigned from the PKR, a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition, and pledged support for the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. Therefore, the number of the Opposition MPs dropped from 109 to 108. The next day, Jugah went to the Seri Perdana, the official residence of the prime minister to hand over his support letter to Muhyiddin. On the other hand, an Independent MP, Syed Abu Husin Hafiz, MP for Bukit Gantang was also there to hand over the application form to join and support the Bersatu. Also present were Bersatu MPs Senior Minister for Economy and Minister of International Trade and Industry, Azmin Ali and Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Ali Biju. It was also reported that Jugah was convinced by Azmin to support the ruling PN coalition to empower its administration.[166][167][168]

Tommy Thomas, the former Attorney General of Malaysia.

On 28 February, the Attorney General Tommy Thomas submitted his resignation letter to the interim Prime Minister Mahathir but no reason was given.[169] It came after he was heavily criticised for his decision not to pursue a case against twelve Indian individuals including two state lawmakers who were accused of having connection with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which was listed as a terrorist organisation in Malaysia.[170] He later told the media that he was a political appointee and as Mahathir resigned as the prime minister, it was best for him to tender his resignation as well.[171]

On 2 March, the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Latheefa Koya tendered her resignation from the post. She stated that she wasn't pressured into doing so and that she wanted to return to her practice as a human rights advocate.[172] The deputy chief commissioner of operations, Azam Baki, was appointed as the new chief commissioner on 9 March 2020.[173]

The Menteri Besar of Selangor, Amirudin Shari called for a meeting with all Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members of the legislative assembly (ADUNs) at his official residence on the morning of 24 February 2020.[176] Amirudin is a member of PKR and was recommended by Azmin Ali for the Menteri Besar post when he was listed as a minister in the Prime Minister's cabinet. He was generally regarded as a key lieutenant in Azmin's faction of the party.[177][178][179]

On the morning of 25 February, Amirudin sought an audience with the Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin of Selangor. He was also joined by Amanah's Selangor chairman, Izham Hashim and DAP's Selangor chairman, Gobind Singh Deo.[180] The Sultan was satisfied with their explanation that the political development in federal level will not affect the incumbent Pakatan Harapan coalition in government of Selangor and consented for it to operate as usual.[180]

On 5 March, Amirudin announced a purge of Bersatu leaders and members from all positions of the state administration.[181]

On June 13 Dr Daroyah Alwi, Deputy Speaker & EXCO, announced that she had quit the PKR party and became an independent assemblyman in support of the Perikatan Nasional coalition. She came out on the grounds that he had "lost confidence in the President (Anwar Ibrahim) and his harpist leadership of the idealism of the struggle".[182] On 29 June, PKR Women's chief & EXCO, Hanizah Talha was sacked from PKR, stripping her from Selangor State Executive Council position. She has described PKR's decision to sack her from the party as an “act of revenge”.[183][184][185] Ahmad Mustain Othman, Sabak assemblyman, was sacked from Amanah on 28 July, for allegedly breaching party disciplinary rules.[186]

On 8 August, Jeram assemblyman announced his exit from PPBM. He said he will now be an independent who will back former PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Shaid also claimed his exit will be followed by the majority of the PPBM Kuala Selangor division members, including various heads of branches.[187]

On 16 November, Meru assemblyman announced his exit from Amanah and join PKR.[188] Sabak assemblyman also join PKR after being fired from Amana[189][190]

The Sultan of Johor, Ibrahim Ismail of Johor ordered all 56 members of the legislative assembly to meet him on 26 February.[192] The assembly session that was scheduled to be held on 5 March was postponed as a result.[193] All the assemblypersons were asked to sign SD to state their preference whether to form a new coalition government or to allow Pakatan Harapan to continue governing the state.[194]

On 27 February, the private secretary to the Sultan, Jaba Mohd Noah, announced that a new coalition will govern the state after gaining a simple majority of 28 assemblymen against 26 who supported Pakatan Harapan.[195] Two assemblymen, Bersatu's Mazlan Bujang and Amanah's Salahuddin Ayub failed to state their preference as they did not meet the Sultan as ordered.[196] The new coalition was slated to consist of MLAs from Bersatu, UMNO, MIC, PAS and several others whose party allegiance were not mentioned.[197] However, a day later Pakatan Harapan challenged the new coalition's claim of majority control and stated that it too had the support of 28 assemblymen, including Salahuddin Ayub and PKR assemblyman Chong Fat Full who was rumoured to have been one of 28 assemblymen that signed a SD in support of the new coalition. The new Menteri Besar of Johor, Hasni Mohammad from UMNO, was sworn in on the evening of 28 February in front of the Sultan at Istana Bukit Serene, Johor Bahru.[198] On 4 March, PKR assemblyman from Pemanis, Chong Fat Full formally announced his exit from his party to become a Perikatan-friendly independent, thus resulting in Perikatan Nasional effectively controlling 29 seats in the state assembly against Harapan's 27.[199]

On 14 May, the Johor state assembly convened. Sultan Ibrahim Ismail addressed the assembly and called on politicians not to create a "virus" of divisiveness and discord that would infect the rest of the country in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sultan also reminded all assemblymen to set a good example by maintaining decorum and discipline, in contrast to the disruptions in the Perak and Malacca assemblies earlier in the week.[200][201] Earlier, on 11 May, Johor Pakatan Harapan announced that they cancelled a no confidence motion in the Menteri Besar in response to the Sultan's plea, and Speaker Suhaizan Kayat of Amanah remained in his position amid earlier reports of his removal by the Perikatan government.[202] On 3 June, following new reports of Pakatan Harapan plotting to retake control of the state government, Sultan Ibrahim threatened to dissolve the assembly and hold a new election.[203]

On 28 August, Chong Fat Full joins Bersatu.[204]

On 4 September, Osman Sapian Bersatu membership has been voided with immediate effect after he was spotted stumping for Pejuang during the 2020 Slim by-election campaign period.[205] However at same time Bersatu Secretary-General Hamzah Zainudin says, Osman Sapian still remains a member of Bersatu. He said for now, Osman would only be called to answer charges regarding allegations of helping the Independent candidate campaign in the recent Slim State Assembly (DUN) by-election (PRK), and no action has yet been taken.[206]

In Malacca, the legislative assembly was caught in a deadlock as both Pakatan Harapan and the opposition Barisan Nasional held 13 seats each after Bersatu left the then-ruling coalition.[208] The Chief Minister of Malacca, Adly Zahari met the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca, Mohd Khalil Yaakob on 26 February to brief him on the current political situation.[209] On 27 February, the state government announced in a press conference that they will preserve the status quo and will continue to operate as usual.[210] However, the assembly session that was scheduled to be held on 6 March was postponed.[211]

On 2 March 2020, Barisan Nasional's Malacca state chairman, Abdul Raouf Yusof attended a meeting with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.[212] In a press conference held in the evening, he confirmed that Pakatan Harapan had lost their majority in the legislative assembly and Perikatan Nasional will form a new government. The new coalition government had the support of 17 state assemblymen.[213] On the same day, Adly Zahari met with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri and suggested that the state assembly be dissolved and to trigger a state election in accordance with Article 7 (4) of the state constitution, but Adly's suggestion was rejected.[214][215]

On 3 March 2020, Adly held a press conference, in which he stated that he did not resign from his post. However, he was informed that he was no longer chief minister and was dismissed on the previous evening.[216] The new chief minister of Malacca, Sulaiman Md Ali from UMNO was sworn in on the evening of 9 March 2020.[217]

On 11 May 2020, the state assembly convened and the Perikatan administration moved a motion of no confidence in Speaker Omar Jaafar of PKR, which led to heated verbal exchanges and insults between both sides of the assembly. Example included PN Independent MP Norhizam Hassan Baktee shouting "Babi" (pig) repetitively to DAP representative Low Chee Leong in response to the latter's "Pengkhianat" (Traitor) remark.[218] The Speaker adjourned the sitting. Later, the assembly reconvened with only Perikatan assemblymen and declared Ab Rauf Yusoh of UMNO as the new Speaker.[219] The ousted speaker said Malacca Pakatan Harapan is contesting the legality of the new Speaker's appointment.[220]

On 14 September 2020, Norhizam Hassan Baktee join Bersatu.[221]

On 2 January 2021 Muhammad Jailani Khamis join UMNO.[222]

In Kedah, the Menteri Besar of Kedah, Mukhriz Mahathir sought an audience with the Sultan of Kedah, Sallehuddin of Kedah on the morning of 27 February.[225] Mukhriz is the fifth child of Mahathir Mohamad, and a member of Bersatu, which had exited the incumbent coalition Pakatan Harapan.[21][226] The Sultan consented to allowing Mukhriz to continue as the Menteri Besar after 19 Pakatan Harapan lawmakers announced their support for him despite the political situation at the federal level.[227]

On 12 May, two PKR assemblymen representing Sidam and Lunas left the party citing lack of confidence in Anwar and an alleged purge of grassroots members aligned towards Azmin as their reasons, to become independents friendly towards Perikatan Nasional.[228] Later in the day, Kedah state opposition leader Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor announced the formation of a new government with the support of 23 state assemblymen including the two ex-PKR members and four of six Bersatu assemblymen previously aligned with Pakatan Harapan.[229][230]

On 13 May, Mukhriz appeared in a press conference with his exco members from Pakatan Harapan and insisted that his administration was still intact. He insisted that he will remain in control until the Kedah palace notifies him, or with a no confidence vote in the state assembly.[231] Two days later, Kedah's assemblymen from both Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional were granted audience with the Sultan to resolve the issue.[232][233] On 17 May, Mukhriz resigned, conceding that he had lost the confidence of the assembly.[234] Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor of PAS was sworn in as the new Menteri Besar on the evening.[235]

On 6 September, Azman Nasrudin and Robert Ling Kui Ee joins Bersatu[236]

On 27 February, an UMNO representative from the opposition had an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Nazrin Shah of Perak and later revealed that the Sultan stated that any coalition which can prove that they have at least 30 seats in the state assembly will be able to form a government.[241] The incumbent Menteri Besar of Perak, Bersatu's Ahmad Faizal Azumu then hinted that there will be a new state government, and articulated his hope that he would continue as Menteri Besar under the new government.[242] On 3 March, he informed the media that he had been ordered to see the Sultan at Istana Iskandariah in the afternoon.[243]

In a press conference held on 9 March, Faizal confirmed that a new state government made up of twenty five assemblymen from UMNO, three from PAS and four from Bersatu was being formed.[244] He tendered his resignation on the next day to formalise the dissolution of the Perak State Executive Council.[245] He was subsequently reappointed as the Menteri Besar of Perak by the Sultan and was sworn in on the evening on 13 March.[246]

On 12 May, speaker of the Perak state legislative assembly Ngeh Koo Ham announced in a speech to the assembly that he would be resigning as speaker after an attempt by Menteri Besar Faizal to launch a motion of no-confidence against him. During the speech, he stated that attempts to replace him as speaker should not be done through threats, referencing Faizal's attempted motion of-no confidence against him. State government assemblymen had previously tried to persuade Ngeh to vacate the position before the state assembly convened.[247][248]

On 29 July, Hasnul Zulkarnain join Bersatu because of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's beliefs.[238]

On 4 December, Faizal lost a confidence vote, ending his term as Menteri Besar of Perak [249]

On 5 December, Faizal resign as Menteri Besar of Perak[250]

On 10 December, new Menteri Besar of Perak, Saarani Mohammad from UMNO, was sworn in on the morning.[251]

On 18 January, Leong Cheok Keng was sacked by party DAP.[252]

On 4 March, Afif Bahardin from PKR resigned from his position in Penang State Executive Council.[255] He stated that he was pressured by the party's state and central leadership to resign from his post.[256] Afif is a known supporter of Azmin Ali while the latter was still the party's deputy president.[257] PKR's Norlela Ariffin was appointed as the new state councillor and was sworn in on 12 March in front of the Yang Dipertua Negeri, Abdul Rahman Abbas.[258][259]

On 23 May, two Bersatu state representatives withdrew their support for the Harapan government of Penang following their appointments by the federal government to the Penang Regional Development Authority (under the Rural Development Ministry) and MARA's investment arm Mara Corp Sdn Bhd's board of advisors.[260] On 28 May, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced that the state government will table a motion at the next state legislative assembly sitting to compel the two Bersatu representatives, along with Afif who was suspended from PKR on 3 May, to vacate their seats. At that time, Penang is the only state in Malaysia that has legislation which prohibits switching of parties for elected representatives under Section 14A of the Penang Constitution.[261] The law also allows the assembly to declare the seats vacant via a motion carried by a majority of the House if the representatives do not resign. However, it is a controversial law and had been previously ruled as unconstitutional by the Federal Court in 1992.[262]

On 24 June, Afif announced his departure from PKR and joined forces with Bersatu.[253] On 4 July, Zulkifli Ibrahim was sacked from PKR. He declared that he is joining Perikatan Nasional on the same day. He insisted that the PKR disciplinary committee should have summoned him for investigations before making any decisions.[254]

On 15 June, two UPKO assemblymen representing Kuala Penyu and Sugut left the party citing Sabah state government is not in line with the Federal Government and become independents friendly towards Perikatan Nasional.[263]

On 29 July former Sabah Chief Minister, Musa Aman claimed to have a simple majority to form a new PN government in Sabah. In a special afternoon press conference, he said, the new Perikatan Nasional coalition involved several parties, namely UMNO, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). He also said the Minister of Home Affairs, Hamzah Zainudin and the Political Secretary to the Prime Minister paid a courtesy call on the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin in the morning. Speculation rose in recent weeks that changes will take place in the Sabah government.[264][265] [266]

On 30 July, Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal said Sabah governor Juhar Mahiruddin has consented to the dissolution of the state assembly, paving the way for a snap election in the state. This follows claims by former chief minister Musa Aman who said that he had the numbers needed to form a new state government. The announcement also followed talk that Musa was heading to the state palace to be sworn in as chief minister today. Musa said yesterday that he had received statutory declarations from a number of assemblymen from various parties confirming their support for a new alliance he was leading. A total of 73 seats will be up for contest following the addition of 13 new seats endorsed in Parliament last year. He said he could seek the governor's consent to dissolve the state assembly as he was still chief minister.[267][268]

Nominated Sabah assemblyman Ronnie Loh Ee Eng was sacked from DAP for supporting the Perikatan Nasional (PN) attempt to topple the Warisan-led Sabah government.[269] Inanam assemblyman & Sabah PKR Vice Chairman, Kenny Chua Teck Ho were sacked from PKR for backing Musa.[270] On 31 July, 5 assemblymen representing Tanjong Batu, Balung, Pitas, Kuamut, & Sebatik was sacked form Warisan. Loretto Padua, Warisan Secretary General says "In this case they are considered to have joined forces with Musa Aman and conspired to overthrow the Warisan government.[271] Paginatan assemblyman & UPKO Vice President, Abidin Madingkir was sacked from UPKO for allegedly being involved with former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman to take over the state government.[272]

On 16 August, James Ratib join UMNO[273]

On 2 September, Abd. Muis Picho join PPBM.[274]

On 26 September, Perikatan Nasional won a simple majority of 38 seats in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, and replacing the Warisan-led Sabah government with the Perikatan Nasional-led Sabah government.[275] The new chief minister of Sabah is Hajiji Noor of Bersatu.[276]

On 10 July, Rahang assemblyman, Mary Josephine, announced that she is quitting DAP, as well as resigning from all her positions in the political party.[277] She said the decision was made after she could no longer face the challenges and pressures from the state DAP leadership. She added that she would continue to support Pakatan Harapan as an independent politician.[278] She had since retracted her decision and rejoined the party on 20 July.[279]

Perikatan Nasional secured every seat in the Kelantan and Terengganu legislatures, leaving them without an opposition.

On 14 April 2020, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How was sacked from PKR, leaving PKR with no representation in Sarawak State Legislative Assembly.[281] On 27 July, Padungan assemblyman and Sarawak DAP vice-chairman Wong King Wei has announced his resignation from DAP with immediate effect, saying he was disillusioned with its direction and management. He claimed the party has deviated from the aims, objectives and struggle of the earlier days when he joined in 2006.[282] With the assemblyman's resignation, PH lost its status as largest opposition party. Wong Soon Koh from PSB took over as opposition leader on 9 November 2020 [283]

With the entry of Ali Biju on 23 August 2020, BERSATU/Perikatan Nasional was for the first time represented in the Assembly[284]

On 21 December, Julau assemblyman Larry Sng stepping down as Sarawak PKR chairman. His reason for stepping down was to let a Dayak leader take over the post and lead the party in the Sarawak state election which is due in June next year.[285]

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) hold a meeting at its headquarters on 1 March 2020.[296] While leaving the headquarters after the meeting ended, members who were associated with the former deputy president Azmin Ali, such as the vice-president Tian Chua and the former party's youth wing deputy chief Afif Bahardin, was harassed and assaulted by PKR supporters. Both were accused of being "traitors". Police later revealed that one arrest had been made in relation to the incident involving Chua, with at least two reports were lodged.[297]

A large number of grassroots members of PKR have left the party since the political crisis started. Three PKR Kelantan branch leaders announced that they were leaving the party on 26 February after Azmin and Zuraida Kamaruddin, the party's vice president, were sacked from their positions and expelled.[298] Around 2,000 members from the Pasir Puteh branch left the party on 28 February, stating that they were disappointed with the party's leadership.[299] 536 members from the Kota Raja branch also left the party on 1 March, citing that they no longer believed in the party's direction.[300] On 2 March, around 400 members of PKR in Perak also left the party, arguing that the party had lost its focus on nation building and was only focused on the transition of power to the party's president, Anwar Ibrahim.[301] This was later followed by the exit of 500 members from the Arau and Padang Besar branches on 15 March. They too cited that they had lost confidence with the party's leadership under Anwar.[302]

On 17 May, PKR Srikandi Keadilan Chief, Nurainie Haziqah Shafii, exits the party. The decision was taken after she has lost confidence on the direction of PKR at this time.[303] On 21 June, a further 50 Johor PKR women leader members exit the party after losing faith in the party's top leadership.[304] The next day, 25 PKR grassroots leaders of the Saratok branch exit the party citing loss of confidence in the party as their reasons.[305] On 27 June, 19 Jelebu branch PKR Committee members exit the party after claiming to have lost faith in the PKR leadership.[306]

On 1 July, Terengganu PKR women chef, Sharifah Norhayati Syed Omar Alyahya exit PKR along with 131 other members. The decision was made after seeing injustice in the party's top leadership.[307] On 11 July, almost 100 Anak Muda Keadilan (AMK) Port Dickson members exit PKR, thus making the AMK Port Dickson branch paralyzed. The action was taken as they believe the party was weakening and is unable to win seats in the next general election.[308] On 15 July, Jempol PKR branch chief, Karip Mohd Salleh along with 25 other members exit party resulting in the dissolution of the branch is. The decision was made after each of them had lost faith in the party leadership in navigating the leadership ranks either at the federal or state levels.[309] On 25 July, 721 members of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Tebrau Branch exit party after claiming to have lost faith in the party leadership.[310]

Following the resignation of Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's stock market FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI on 24 February dropped to its lowest point since 2011.[311] The Ringgit also weakened against US dollar, traded at 4.22, their lowest in months.[311][312] However, the market bounced back on the next day, trading at 0.78% higher on mid-day.[313]