Malaysia new PM faces tall task in uniting polarized society

By EILEEN NG
Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been sworn in, bringing back the rule of the country’s longest-governing political party. But he faces a tall task in uniting a polarized society and reviving a slumping economy amid a worsening pandemic. Ismail was the deputy prime minister under the government of Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned Monday after less than 18 months in office as infighting in his coalition cost him majority support. Ismail obtained the backing of 114 lawmakers for a slender majority that brought Muhyiddin’s alliance back to power. It also returned the premiership to Ismail’s United Malays National Organization. The party led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in 2018 elections over a massive financial scandal.