Tan Sri Dato'
Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin.
Origin
The oldest ...
Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label=
Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regar ...
politician who served as the 8th
Prime Minister of Malaysia from March 2020 to August 2021. Appointed as prime minister amid a
political crisis
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, Muhyiddin served for 17 months and resigned after losing parliamentary support, making him the second shortest-serving prime minister in Malaysian history after
Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Muhyiddin grew up in the state of
Johor and joined the state
public service after graduating from
University of Malaya (UM). He assumed management positions at various
state-owned companies. In 1978, he was elected as the
Member of Parliament for
Pagoh. During this term, he was appointed
parliamentary secretary to the
minister of foreign affairs,
deputy minister of federal territories and later
deputy minister of trade and industry. As the
Johor UMNO chief, he was the state's
Menteri Besar from 1986 to 1995. He returned to federal politics
in 1995
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Independ ...
. He was appointed to the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
as
Minister of Youth and Sports
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
. He was appointed
Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs after the
1999 general election and became a vice president of UMNO in 2000. Under the premiership of
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
, Muhyiddin served as
Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia is Mohamad Sabu, since 3 December 2022. Mohamad is assisted by Deputy Minister. The Minister administers the portfolio through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
List of mini ...
from 2004 to 2008, and then as
Minister of International Trade and Industry
The was a ministry of the Government of Japan from 1949 to 2001. The MITI was one of the most powerful government agencies in Japan and, at the height of its influence, effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and di ...
from 2008 to 2009.
In 2008, he contested and won the UMNO deputy presidency and was appointed
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Education by Prime Minister
Najib Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysi ...
in 2009. As
Minister of Education, Muhyiddin ended the use of English as the medium of instruction for science and mathematics in public schools. He also attracted controversy after describing himself as "
Malay first" when challenged by the
Opposition to pronounce himself as "
Malaysian first". Muhyiddin was a vocal critic of his government and party over the
1MDB scandal; as a result, he was dropped from his position during Najib's mid-term cabinet
reshuffle in July 2015, marking the first incumbent UMNO deputy president to be left out of the president's cabinet. In June 2016, he was expelled from UMNO.
He participated in founding the political party
Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU) under Mahathir in 2016. He returned to the
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
after his coalition of parties
Pakatan Harapan won the
2018 Malaysian general election
The 2018 Malaysian General Election, formally known as the 14th Malaysian General Election (), was held on Wednesday, 9 May 2018, for members of the 14th Parliament of Malaysia. At stake were all 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat (the legislature' ...
. In February 2020, BERSATU withdrew from Pakatan Harapan, culminating in a
political crisis
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
as the coalition lost its majority in the
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan Ra ...
. Following Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
's subsequent resignation, Muhyiddin successfully formed new coalition
Perikatan Nasional by receiving support from enough MPs to form a
majority government
A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. This is as opposed to a minority government, where the largest party in a legislature only has a plurality of seats. ...
, and was appointed Prime Minister on 1 March.
Much of his premiership was overseeing Malaysia's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, which became a major crisis shortly after he took office. This included enacting several iterations of the
Movement Control Order (MCO), a
vaccination programme and declaring a
2021 state of emergency, where parliament and elections were suspended. Although his government's initial response was praised by the
WHO and had high local approval ratings,
the worsening of the COVID-19 crisis in 2021 attracted criticism and
destabilised the coalition. Major coalition party
UMNO withdrew support for Muhyiddin and called for his resignation, in a continuation of the
country's political crisis.
On 16 August 2021, he resigned after attempts to regain support from MPs were unsuccessful. He remained
caretaker Prime Minister until his replacement
Ismail Sabri Yaakob was selected on 21 August 2021.
Early life and education
Muhyiddin was born as Mahiaddin bin Md. Yasin in
Muar, Johor, Malaysia. His father,
Haji Muhammad Yassin bin Muhammad, was a
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
of
Bugis
The Bugis people (pronounced ), also known as Buginese, are an ethnicity—the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassar and Toraja), in the south-western province of Sulawe ...
descent. Muhammad Yassin was an
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
theologian and
cleric based in
Bandar Maharani, Muar, Johor, while his mother, Hajjah Khadijah binti Kassim, was a
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
of
Javanese descent.
Muhyiddin received his primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Maharani, Muar, Johor, and Sekolah Kebangsaan Ismail, Muar, Johor. He received his secondary education at the Muar High School, Johor. Subsequently, he attended the
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. He received
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in
Economics and
Malay studies in 1971.
Early career
After completing his studies, Muhyiddin joined the Johor state public service as the assistant secretary of training and scholarship. In 1974, he was appointed the assistant district officer (ADO) of
Muar. He left the civil service to join the corporate sector in the Johor State Economic Development Corporation (PKENJ), managing its subsidiary companies like Sergam Berhad as managing director (1974–1977), Equity Mal (Johore) Sdn Bhd as Director (1974–1978), Sri Saujana Berhad as managing director (1974–1978) and SGS Ates (M) Sdn Bhd as
Human Resources Manager (1974).
Early political career (1971–1995)
Early year
Muhyiddin's involvement in politics began when he joined
UMNO as an ordinary member at the Muar Dalam division in 1971. He was elected as
UMNO youth chief of the Pagoh division and the secretary in 1976. Later he became Youth Chief of Johor state
UMNO Youth until 1987.
Muhyiddin occupied the seats of Exco in the national Malaysia UMNO Youth. In 1984, Muhyiddin was elected the UMNO division chief of Pagoh, replacing
Othman Saat. Muhyiddin rose the ranks and file of Johor UMNO quickly. From being a state executive council member, he rose to become
Johor UMNO's head and later became Menteri Besar of Johor.
Muhyiddin contested and was elected Member of Parliament for the
Pagoh constituency in the 1978 general election and kept the seat until 1982. Muhyiddin was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; subsequently, he was promoted to Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Federal Territories and later the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
In 1984, Muhyiddin contested a UMNO Supreme Council seat but lost. Muhyiddin was later appointed the UMNO Johor state liaison chairman and next appointed a Supreme Council member. In November 1990, he was a candidate for the UMNO vice-presidency but lost again. He attempted again in the November 1993 UMNO party election, successfully this time.
Menteri Besar of Johor
In the 1986 general election, Muhyiddin contested and won the
Johor State Legislative constituency seat of Bukit Serampang, opening the path for him to become the
Menteri Besar of Johor on 13 August 1986.
His tenure as Menteri Besar lasted until 6 May 1995.
Rise to prominence (1995–2009)
Muhyiddin returned to contest the
Pagoh parliamentary seat in the
1995 General Election.
He served several different federal government cabinet posts as
Minister of Youth and Sports
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
(1995–1999),
Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (1999–2004),
Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia is Mohamad Sabu, since 3 December 2022. Mohamad is assisted by Deputy Minister. The Minister administers the portfolio through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
List of mini ...
(2004–2008) and
Minister of International Trade and Industry
The was a ministry of the Government of Japan from 1949 to 2001. The MITI was one of the most powerful government agencies in Japan and, at the height of its influence, effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and di ...
(2008–2009). He was appointed
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Education by Prime Minister
Najib Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysi ...
in 2009.
He lost the 1996 election when defending the vice-president post. Eventually, in the election in 2000, he again won the post of vice-president of UMNO, remaining in that post until the October 2008 party election, when Muhyiddin successfully sought the higher post of deputy president, which was left vacant as the incumbent, Najib Razak (who was acting party president after the retirement of
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
), became UMNO president.
2009 UMNO General Assembly and party election
Muhyiddin attacked
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
's original transition plan as "too long", and some people say that at one point, Muhyiddin was about to ask and force Abdullah to quit, though he never did so directly. During the 2008 general election, Muhyiddin managed to keep his seat and remained as an UMNO leader. Shocked by the election results, he called for reforms.
During the 2009 UMNO General Assembly and party election, Muhyiddin was a candidate for the deputy president post, which was vacated by the incoming prime minister
Najib Tun Razak. He was challenged by
Mohd Ali Rustam, Malacca chief minister, and
Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Rural and Regional Development Minister. Muhyiddin, seen as a supporter of
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
, was seen to be the front-runner for the race, garnering many nominations by the UMNO divisions. Nevertheless, the competition was tough, as Taib and Rustam gained more ground, especially from the Badawi camp. Political analysts tipped the race to be very tight. However, the UMNO supreme council decided to disqualify Ali Rustam's candidacy after his assistants were caught involved with corruption after an investigation. The election resulted in Muhyiddin's election to the post with 1,575 votes to Muhammad Taib's 916.
Deputy premiership (2009–2015)
Muhyiddin was appointed deputy prime minister on 9 April 2009, when Najib took over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and unveiled his
first Cabinet
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
* World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
.
Continuing as
Minister for Education, he announced the decision to return to the teaching of mathematics and science in Malay in all government primary and secondary schools.
Muhyiddin waded into controversy in March 2010 by stating he was "
Malay first" rather than "
Malaysian first". He also said that there is nothing wrong with other races doing the same; for example, the Chinese could claim themselves to be "
Chinese first,
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regar ...
second" and same for the
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
. On 13 July 2010, he said that anyone was free to form an association, including Chinese or Indian versions of the Malay rights group
Perkasa. Prime Minister Najib came to Muhyiddin's defence, denying that his statement was inconsistent with the "
1Malaysia
1Malaysia (pronounced ''One Malaysia'' in English and ''Satu Malaysia'' in Malay) is a programme designed by Malaysian 6th Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in summer 2009 with the stated goal of promoting ethnic harmony, national unity, and ef ...
" concept promoted by the government.
Sacked from the cabinet
During Najib's mid-term Cabinet reshuffle on 28 July 2015, he was dropped from his position as Deputy Prime Minister. The dismissal came after Muhyiddin had made public and critical remarks about Najib's handling of the
1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal
The 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, often referred to as the 1MDB scandal or just 1MDB, describes a corruption, bribery and money laundering conspiracy in which the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was ...
. Najib stated that Muhyiddin's dismissal, and the contemporaneous dismissals of other Ministers who had been critical of his leadership, was to create a more "unified team". Muhyiddin remained UMNO deputy president, but after keeping up criticism of UMNO, he was eventually sacked by the party's supreme council in June 2016.
Muhyiddin remained unrepentant, maintaining that he had never betrayed the party and pledging to continue speaking out.
Post deputy premiership (2015–2020)
Establishment of BERSATU party
In August 2016, Muhyiddin registered a new political party, called
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM or Bersatu for short) together with former Malaysian prime minister
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
. Muhyiddin became the party's president while Mahathir and his son Mukhriz became the chairman and deputy president. The new party is focused on Bumiputera –
Malays
Malays may refer to:
* Malay race, a racial category encompassing peoples of Southeast Asia and sometimes the Pacific Islands
** Overseas Malays, people of Malay race ancestry living outside Malay archipelago home areas
** Cape Malays, a communit ...
and
Orang Asli
Orang Asli (''lit''. "first people", "native people", "original people", "aborigines people" or "aboriginal people" in Malay) are a heterogeneous indigenous population forming a national minority in Malaysia. They are the oldest inhabitants of ...
– in the sense that full membership is only open to Bumiputera. Other races can join the party but cannot vote or contest in party elections.
Minister of Home Affairs
He was appointed as
Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs by Prime Minister Tun Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
when
Pakatan Harapan won the 14th General Election.
Prime Minister (2020–2021)
On 29 February 2020, a week after the country was thrown into a
political crisis
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, Muhyiddin was appointed
Prime Minister by the
King of Malaysia, following the abrupt resignation of
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
five days before. He is the first person appointed to the position while holding both a parliamentary and state seat at the same time.
COVID-19 pandemic and movement control order
During his administration,
COVID-19 spread throughout the nation. In response, Muhyiddin implemented the
Movement Control Order (MCO) on 16 March 2020 to prevent the disease from infecting more Malaysians. The MCO started nationwide from 18 March and was extended conditionally to 9 June 2020. In response to the economic impact of COVID-19, he introduced an economic stimulus package worth RM 250 billion on 27 March to soften the economic strain during the MCO.
On 1 May, in conjunction with Labour Day, Muhyiddin announced a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). Certain economic sectors were allowed to operate gradually as long as SOP are followed. Travel restrictions are partially lifted to allow stranded students staying on their campuses and people who are stuck in other states to return to their respective home. Sports, recreational, and large gatherings are still prohibited under the CMCO.
On 10 May, it was announced that the CMCO will last for another four weeks until 9 June. More sectors will be allowed to operate and fewer restrictions are to be applied. Shopping malls, dine-in and non-contact sports are allowed as long as social distancing is observed.
The CMCO was converted into Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) and ran from 10 June until 31 August. Under the RMCO, more restrictions will be relaxed to allow the public to carry out their daily activities while complying with standard operating procedures. Almost all social, religious, business, and educational activities are allowed to resume. Hair salons, morning and night markets, and sports-related businesses like gymnasiums will open on a staggered basis, as well as religious congregation such as prayers as long as strict SOPs are followed. Reflexology centres, nightclubs, theme parks, karaoke centres, and gatherings such as kenduri (feasts) are still barred during the RMCO.
The government's COVID-19 response had a 93% approval rating in September 2020, with 69% approval for Muhyiddin himself.
Until early September 2020, Malaysia had a low number of COVID-19 cases.
Infections rose following the
2020 Sabah state election
The 2020 Sabah state election took place on 26 September 2020 to elect all 73 elected members of the 16th Sabah State Legislative Assembly. The previous Assembly was dissolved on 30 July 2020.
The state snap election was called prematurely a ...
in September, leading to a surge in
Sabah which spread to the
Klang Valley
Klang Valley ( ms, Lembah Klang; zh, 巴生谷; ) is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is con ...
area.
However, unlike the initial promise to reinstate the Movement Control Order (MCO) if the case returns to 3 digits, the government only imposed the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) under the name of "economy". The government did not impose the MCO until January 2021. Nevertheless, the "MCO 2.0", was criticised for being not as strict as the "MCO 1.0" from March to May 2020.
The government's mismanagement of the second and third waves provoked widespread anger among Malaysians, such as hashtags like "''#KerajaanGagal''" (means Failed Government) and/or "#MuhyiddinOut" which trended online. During the third wave in the mid 2021, a "Black Flag Campaign (''Bendera Hitam'')" became a trend, urging Muhyiddin to immediately resign.
On July 31, 2021, hundreds of
protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur calling for Muhyiddin's resignation over his government's response to the pandemic.
Foreign relations
Myanmar
After a bilateral meeting, Muhyiddin and Indonesian President
Joko Widodo
Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
called for a special meeting of
ASEAN on
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
after the
2021 coup d'état. After the April 2021 meeting, where representatives from the deposed
National League for Democracy did not attend, Muhyiddin announced that Malaysia's three proposals to
Min Aung Hlaing were not rejected, including calls to end violence against civilians during the
2021 Burmese protests
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
, release of political detainees, and allow the Chair of ASEAN access to Myanmar.
Proclamation of emergency
On 19 October 2020, the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan
Abdullah of Pahang rejected Muhyiddin's request for him to issue a
proclamation of emergency in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout the country. However, on 21 January 2021, a new request to issue a
proclamation of emergency was granted by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and is expected to last until 1 August.
Parliament and all
elections were suspended while the proclamation was in effect.
Loss of majority support and resignation
On 8 July 2021,
UMNO withdrew support for Muhyiddin and called for his resignation in July 2021 over the handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic. As well as a failure to prevent a record rise in COVID-19 infections and deaths, UMNO President
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi cited the management of the
severe economic impact, lack of
political stability and extension of the
Movement Control Order in his call for Muhyiddin to make way for a new interim premier.
On 4 August 2021, Putrajaya, Muhyiddin Yassin submitted a motion of confidence to the
Yang di Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
of Malaysia stating that he had received numerous declarations which provided that he still had the majority support within the lower house of parliament
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan Ra ...
. Therefore, the action of resignation under
Federal Constitution of Malaysia under section 43(4) is neither valid nor legal.
He stated that the
motion of no confidence will take place in September if the parliament has doubts of his ruling. However, this statement has been rejected by opposition leader
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
who claims that 112 or more MPs have rejected
Perikatan Nasional. Therefore,
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
's statement concludes that Muyhiddin claims are not valid and potentially fraudulent.
Following
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
's statement, on 6 August 2021, Muhyiddin had stated during a press conference in
Pagoh, Johor that is he is still confident that he still holds majority support within the
Parliament.
On 15 August 2021,
Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, the
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions), stated that Muhyiddin would resign on the next day. Muhyiddin and his cabinet submitted their resignation to
the king In the British English-speaking world, The King refers to:
* Charles III (born 1948), King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms since 2022
As a nickname
* Michael Jackson (1958–2009), American singer and pop icon, nicknamed "T ...
on Monday, 16 August 2021.
Post-premiership (2021–present)
Chairman of the National Recovery Council
On 4 September 2021,
Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali announced that Muhyiddin had been appointed as Chairman of the National Recovery Council (NRC), a Cabinet minister-level position and highest position in the important council in charge of the recovery efforts of the
COVID-19 pandemic based on confidence of the government in the ability of Muhyiddin in spearheading the COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategies.On 21 December 2022, Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
dissolved NRC due to its redundancy and overlapping of duties, tasks and functions with other government agencies.
15th Malaysian General Election
Perikatan Nasional announced Muhyiddin Yassin as its candidate for prime minister ahead of the
15th Malaysian general election, which was held on 19 November 2022. In the election, Perikatan Nasional won a plurality of 73 seats out of 222 seats, below the 112 seats needed for a majority. After the election, Muhyiddin claimed to have a sufficient majority to be appointed as the prime minister, citing support from Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
On 22 November, the royal palace stated that after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong reviewed the nominations for prime minister, he found that "no member of parliament has the majority support to be appointed prime minister", so he summoned both Muhyiddin and
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
, the prime minister candidate from the rival coalition
Pakatan Harapan, to see him. After the meeting, Muhyiddin said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong proposed a unity government between Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional, but he rejected it as Perikatan Nasional "will not cooperate" with Pakatan Harapan.
Anwar Ibrahim was later appointed and sworn in as Malaysia's 10th Prime Minister on 24 November 2022, with the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah, after a consultation with the
Conference of Rulers of Malaysia.
However, Muhyiddin continued to insist that he had the support of a majority of 115 MPs to form the next government and called on Anwar to prove his majority.
Controversies and issues
Alleged misuse of RMAF helicopter
Muhyiddin, as the Deputy Prime Minister, has used a
RMAF Nuri
helicopter to attend and open
UMNO's divisional assembly in the interior of
Sabah, which has nothing to do with his official duties. His actions have been strongly criticized by the federal opposition led by
Lim Kit Siang as it was a misuse of his powers as Deputy Prime Minister. Lim even questioned whether the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would investigate Muhyiddin, as MACC has been conducting various investigations into assemblymen in states controlled by Lim's
Pakatan Rakyat.
Racial views
On 31 March 2010, Muhyiddin attracted controversy by declaring himself as a "
Malay first" rather than a "
Malaysian first" when responding to
Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader
Lim Kit Siang's challenge in the parliament for him to state whether he is a Malay or a Malaysian first. However, Muhyiddin retorted although he is Malay first, that doesn't mean he being Malay is not Malaysian. The Prime Minister
Najib Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysi ...
defended Muhyiddin's "Malay first, Malaysian second" assertion and controversial statement even though it contradicts the
1Malaysia
1Malaysia (pronounced ''One Malaysia'' in English and ''Satu Malaysia'' in Malay) is a programme designed by Malaysian 6th Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in summer 2009 with the stated goal of promoting ethnic harmony, national unity, and ef ...
concept which talks of "a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second".
Muhyiddin attracted criticism again on 12 April 2010 by calling the members of a new inter-faith committee 'small fry', causing strong reaction from the public and uproar from the
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism ( ms, Majlis Perundingan Malaysia Agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu, Sikh dan Tao; abbrev: MCCBCHST) is a non-profit interfaith organization in Malaysia. ...
(MCCBCHST) to back off from joining the committee for the time being. Muhyiddin was quick to deny he ever say that and stated he was misquoted. Muhyiddin later doubled down and uttered 'Yes, I am Malay first and no apologies'.
Legal name dispute
On 2 April 2021, the Shah Alam court has reversed a preventive detention order signed by him during his time as the Minister of Home Affairs because he signed the order using his unofficial name, Muhyiddin bin Mohd. Yassin instead of his
legal name/
birth name, Mahiaddin bin Md. Yasin.
Involvement in the Sheraton Move
Following political infighting within
Pakatan Harapan,
BERSATU
The Malaysian United Indigenous Party ( ms, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia), abbreviated BERSATU or PPBM, is a nationalist political party in Malaysia. The party was preceded by the United Indigenous Association of Malaysia (). It is a major c ...
President Muhyiddin Yassin,
PAS President
Abdul Hadi Awang,
PKR Deputy President
Azmin Ali, and
UMNO leaders
Abdul Hadi Awang and
Ismail Sabri Yaakob formed the
Perikatan Nasional government which led to a loss of
parliamentary majority for the ruling
Pakatan Harapan coalition, ultimately resulting in
Mahathir Mohamad's resignation as Prime Minister.
This moment is widely regarded as the start of the
Malaysian political crisis.
Following its formation, the
Perikatan Nasional government was the target of scathing criticism, with many calling its existence ''"democratically illegitimate"'' or more colloquially, a ''"backdoor government"''.
"Christianisation" claim
During a campaign speech on 17 November 2022, Muhyiddin accused Pakatan Harapan of working with Jews and Christians to "Christianise the country". He backed his claim by saying "I saw a video where a group of Jews were talking about Malaysia and were praying for the country to fall into the hands of the opposition, which has been sponsoring these groups of Jews and Christians. For me this is dangerous. Is a Christianisation process going to happen?". His remarks was condemned as religiously insensitive by the Council of Churches of Malaysia. Muhyiddin defended himself and claimed that he was taken out of context by saying that his speech was 55 minutes long, and that the remark was only 1 minute and 35 seconds long. He also claimed he was merely commenting on a supposed video clip that allegedly showed "foreign religious groups" praying for Pakatan Harapan to win.
Personal life
Family
He married
Noorainee Abdul Rahman in 1972 and has 4 children; 2 sons and 2 daughters, namely Fakhri Yassin Mahiaddin, Nabilah Mahiaddin, and Farhan Yassin Mahiaddin respectively. All of his children are heavily involved in business and corporate, entertainment or writing industries. His son, Fakhri Yassin, was a corporate figure in Malaysia and assumed the position of Executive Chairman. The second child, Nabilah was involved in book writing while Najwa and Farhan Yassin shared the same interest in the entertainment industry.
Sport
He is an avid
golf lover.
Health issues
In the aftermath of
2018 general election (GE14), Muhyiddin was diagnosed with an early-stage tumour in the
pancreas. He had spent one month in
Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore from July to August 2018, during which he underwent a surgery to extract the tumour. The operation was successful and he returned to Malaysia in stable condition.
He was scheduled for a series of follow-up
chemotherapy treatment after
Hari Raya Haji
Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's ...
, for up to six months. He told reporters at the Parliament, "for cancer cases such as this, it is normal to go through follow-up treatment including chemotherapy for 12 rounds over the duration of six months."
Based on medical advice, Muhyiddin took a one-month medical leave to recover post-surgery. Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
took charge of the
Ministry of Home Affairs during Muhyiddin's absence.
On 22 May 2020, Muhyiddin entered into a 14-day quarantine after an officer who attended the post-Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on 21 May tested positive for COVID-19. On 4 June 2020, he completed the 14-day quarantine period and was tested negative for
COVID-19. Therefore, he was allowed to return to the workplace to discharge his official duties as Prime Minister.
On 9 February 2022, he confirmed that he had tested positive for
COVID-19, was experiencing mild symptoms and would be undergoing quarantine.
Election results
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
*:
**
Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (1988)
*:
**
Second Class of the
Sultan Ibrahim Medal (PIS II) (1974)
**
Second Class of the
Star of Sultan Ismail (BSI II) (1979)
**
Companion of the
Order of the Crown of Johor (SMJ) (1980)
**
Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) – Dato' (1991)
* :
** Grand Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah
The Illustrious Order of Loyalty to Sultan 'Abdu'l Halim Mu'azzam Shah (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Yang Mulia Sri Setia Sultan 'Abdu'l Halim Mu'azzam Shah'') is an honorific order of the Kedah Sultanate, Sultanate of Kedah
History
It was founded b ...
(SHMS) – Dato' Seri Diraja (2014)
* :
**
Knight Grand Commander of the
Exalted Order of Malacca (DUNM) – Datuk Seri Utama (2019)
* :
** Ordinary Class of the
Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
(SPSA) – Dato' Seri Diraja (2010)
* :
**
Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Perlis, the Star of Safi (SPMP) – Dato' Seri (2007)
* :
**
Principal Grand Knight of the
Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SUNS) – Dato' Seri Utama (2010)
*:
**
Grand Commander of the
Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (2010)
*:
**
Knight Commander of the
Order of the Star of Sarawak
The Most Excellent Order of the Star of Sarawak(lit: 'Darjah Yang Amat Gemilang Bintang Sarawak') was established by Charles Vyner Brooke, The Rajah of Sarawak, on 26 September 1928 as the highest order of chivalry within the Raj of Sarawak.Sara ...
(PNBS) – Dato Sri (2008)
** Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak
The Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Kenyalang Sarawak (Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak) is the second highest order group (in the group of orders) of the orders, decorations, and medals of Sarawak. The order was instituted in 1970, and was r ...
(DP) – Datuk Patinggi (2010)
Honorary degrees
* :
** 2012 International Honorary Doctorate from
United States Sports Academy (2013)
* :
** Honorary
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) degree from
Beijing Foreign Studies University (2014)
Honorary plaque
* :
** Honorary Plaque of the City of
Sarajevo (2016)
The City of Sarajevo awarded Plaques in Recognition of Support to Sarajevo and the Region to the following honorable guests: YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
/ref>
See also
* Pagoh (federal constituency)
* List of international prime ministerial trips made by Muhyiddin Yassin
Notes
References
External links
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Official Website
Johor Menteri Besar Office, Menteri Besar Biography, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
My KMU Johor, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhyiddin, Yassin
1947 births
Living people
People from Johor
People from Muar
Malaysian people of Bugis descent
Malaysian people of Javanese descent
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian people of Indonesian descent
Malaysian Muslims
Malaysian political party founders
Leaders of political parties in Malaysia
Malaysian United Indigenous Party politicians
Former United Malays National Organisation politicians
Independent politicians in Malaysia
Members of the Dewan Rakyat
Members of the Johor State Legislative Assembly
Chief Ministers of Johor
Prime Ministers of Malaysia
Deputy Prime Ministers of Malaysia
Government ministers of Malaysia
Agriculture ministers of Malaysia
Education ministers of Malaysia
Home ministers of Malaysia
Industry ministers of Malaysia
Trade ministers of Malaysia
Johor state executive councillors
University of Malaya alumni
Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Knights Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak
20th-century Malaysian politicians
21st-century Malaysian politicians
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor
Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu