Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 25 February 2020
Malaysian king accepts Mahathir's resignation amid upheaval

By EILEEN NG with Mahathir to stay on to
Associated Press jointly defeat the conspira-
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia tors but he refused.
(AP) — Malaysia's king on Anwar was Mahathir's dep-
Monday accepted Prime uty during Mahathir's first
Minister Mahathir Moha- stint as prime minister but
mad's shocking resigna- they fell out politically. The
tion but reappointed him pair reunited in a political
as interim leader following pact in the May 2018 elec-
the collapse of the ruling tion, which ousted a ruling
alliance in a major politi- coalition that has governed
cal upheaval less than two the country since indepen-
years after its historic elec- dence from Britain in 1957.
tion victory. Tension has erupted as Ma-
The stunning turn of events hathir refused to set a date
come amid plans by Ma- to relinquish power despite
hathir's supporters in his a preelection agreement
Bersatu party to team up to hand over power to An-
with opposition parties to war.
form a new government The political plot by the
and thwart the transition of defectors would include
power to his named suc- an alliance with the Malay
cessor, Anwar Ibrahim. party of disgraced former
Minutes before Mahathir In this Feb. 22, 2020, file photo, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, speaks during a leader Najib Razak, who
tendered his resignation to press conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia. with several of his party
the palace, Bersatu said it Associated Press leaders are standing trial
would leave the four-party how the political drama will the Cabinet on Mahathir's ers that Mahathir was not on corruption charges. It
Alliance of Hope and sup- play out. advice, essentially sealing involved in the conspiracy would also recruit a funda-
port Mahathir as prime min- King Sultan Abdullah Sul- the breakup of the current and had quit because he mentalist Islamic party that
ister. Eleven other lawmak- tan Ahmad Shah, who met government. didn't want to be associ- rules two states and cham-
ers, including several Cabi- leaders from the new fac- The king's decision helped ated with the former cor- pions Islamic laws. The two
net ministers, announced tion on Sunday and both bring some political stabil- rupt regime that he worked Malay parties still have
they were quitting Anwar's Anwar and Mahathir on ity to the country after the hard to oust in the 2018 strong support from ethnic
party to form an indepen- Monday, accepted Maha- series of dizzying events polls. Malays, who account for
dent bloc. thir's resignation, the chief unraveled Sunday with "His name was used, by 60% of Malaysia's 32 million
Bersatu later said Maha- secretary to the govern- maneuvers aimed at keep- those within my party and people.
thir had also quit as party ment, Mohamad Zuki Ali, ing Mahathir in power and outside," Anwar told report- The political drama came
chairman. The withdrawal said in a statement. blocking Anwar from the ers. Mahathir "reiterated to just two days after all of the
of more than three dozen Mohamad Zuki said the top job. Horse trading is me what he had said ear- parties in the now-crum-
lawmakers means the rul- king also decided Mahathir expected as both factions lier, that he played no part bling alliance agreed that
ing alliance has lost its ma- should continue as interim scramble to build enough in it and he made it very Mahathir alone should de-
jority in Parliament, throw- leader until a new prime support to take power. clear, that in no way will he cide when he would step
ing the country into an un- minister is chosen and a Anwar said Monday after ever work with those associ- down after Malaysia hosts
certain future and sparking new Cabinet formed. He meeting with Mahathir and ated with the past regime." an Asia-Pacific regional
fears of more turmoil over said the king also dissolved with other alliance lead- Anwar said he pleaded meeting in November.q
Protests, prayers in Indian capital ahead of Trump’s visit

By RISHI LEKHI and ASHOK The Press Trust of India east and Hyderabad in
SHARMA news agency said three the south.
Associated Press protesters also were killed Doraisamy Raja, the Com-
NEW DELHI (AP) — As Presi- during clashes in several munist Party's general sec-
dent Donald Trump was parts of the Indian capital. retary, accused Modi of
being feted by Indian There was no confirmation succumbing to U.S. pres-
Prime Minister Narendra by the police of the news sure on access to the In-
Modi in the western Indian report. dian market rather than
city of Ahmedabad on A group of Hindu national- protecting India's interests.
Monday, Hindu national- ists held a prayer meeting American dairy farmers,
ist and communist groups in which they put a vermil- distillers and drugmakers
held pro- and anti-U.S. ion mark on the forehead have been eager to break
street demonstrations in of Trump's photograph into India, the world's sev-
the capital. on a poster, blessing him, enth-biggest economy,
One police officer was while a priest chanted Hin- but talks between Wash-
killed in the violence, po- du hymns wishing Trump Indian police detain members of Centre of Indian Trade Unions ington and New Delhi ap-
lice officer Anuj Kumar success in his endeavor for protesting against the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to peared to have fizzled.
said. Eleven police officers strong ties with India. India, in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. Still, the two leaders are
Associated Press
also were injured as they He said he wanted Trump scheduled to announce
were hit by rocks trying to and Modi to fight radical dozens of supporters of Anti-Trump street demon- agreements at a news
separate rival groups, the Islam and the spread of the Communist Party of strations also broke out in conference on Tuesday,
New Delhi police control terrorism. India carried a banner the cities of Gauhati in the capping off Trump's two-
room said. Elsewhere in New Delhi, reading "Trump go back." northeast, Kolkata in the day visit.q