Malaysia's king to meet political leaders to find new PM

Malaysia’s king is set to meet the heads of political parties to find a new prime minister following the resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia’s king is set Tuesday to meet the heads of political parties as he swiftly began the task of finding a new prime minister amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic. The resignation Monday of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin after less than 18 months in office followed mounting public anger over what was widely perceived as his government’s poor handling of the pandemic. Malaysia has one of the world’s highest infection rates and deaths per capita, with daily cases breaching 20,000 this month despite a seven-month state of emergency and a lockdown since June. The monarch has ruled out a general election as many parts of the country are COVID-19 red zones and health facilities are inadequate. Muhyiddin was appointed caretaker prime minister until a successor is found.