Synopsis
The Malaysian parliament convened on 18 May 2020 for its first sitting since the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government came to power in early March 2020. Political developments, previously sedate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, came back to the fore along with it. A no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was accepted by the speaker of the house, and spearheaded by Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) President Anwar Ibrahim. While the vote was not discussed during the sitting on 18 May 2020, Dr Mahathir has encountered troubles of his own. He and his son Mukhriz Mahathir are on the brink of being expelled from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), while Mukhriz was deposed as Chief Minister of Kedah state following the fall of his state government. Given the above, and with murmurs of discontent from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) over cabinet appointments, political developments in Malaysia are expected to remain fluid with potential implications for its socioeconomic outlook.
- What are the main takeaways of recent events in Malaysia leading up to the parliament sitting?
- What are the immediate implications of the parliament sitting on 18 May 2020 for both the PN government and the Pakatan Harapan remnants, and what political trends should be monitored going forward?
- How are these political developments impacting Malaysia’s socioeconomic outlook under the COVID-19 outbreak?
Speaker: Dr. Oh Ei Sun, SIIA Senior Fellow
Event Details:
Topic: The Saga Continues: Recent Political Developments Under Malaysia’s PN Government
Date: Thursday, 21st May 2020
Time: 10:00am – 11:00am (Webinar broadcast opens at 9:55am; Webinar commences at 10:00am.)
Programme:
9:55am Webinar broadcast opens
10:00am Introductory Remarks by Ms. Seraphim Cheong
10:05am Opening Remarks by Associate Prof. Simon Tay
10:10am Remarks by Dr. Oh Ei Sun on The Saga Continues: Recent Political Developments Under Malaysia’s PN Government
10:20am Discussion and Q&A Session
10:55am Closing Remarks
11:00am Webinar Ends
Registration:
This webinar is open to public. If you wish to express your interest in joining the talk, please kindly email us at events@www.siiaonline.org.
