KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Newly-appointed Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today expressed his deepest gratitude to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his enormous service to Malaysia.
The Prime Minister recorded his appreciation when delivering his maiden address to the nation entitled “An Appeal to Malaysians,” which was aired over local television stations tonight.
Muhyiddin, 72, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president, co-founded the party in 2016 with Dr Mahathir who was made its chairman.
Dr Mahathir, 94, was appointed the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia after leading the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition which then comprised Bersatu, PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) to victory in the 14th general election in May 2018.
Dr Mahathir resigned from the top post on Feb 24, before being appointed interim Prime Minister by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah the same day.
Following a leadership crisis which lasted almost a week after Dr Mahathir resigned as PM, Muhyiddin took his oath of office as the 8th Prime Minister before Al-Sultan Abdullah at Istana Negara yesterday.
In his almost 22 months as prime minister of the country for the second time, Dr Mahathir and his line-up of ministers including Muhyiddin as Home Minister, among others introduced new policies including the Shared Prosperity Vision (WKB) 2030, which is aimed at stimulating the country’s economic growth and to close the economic gap among the people.
In taking up the new post, Muhyiddin pledged the government under his leadership would focus on the implementation of WKB 2030.
Dr Mahathir had also served as Malaysia’s fourth prime minister from July 1981 to October 2003.
— BERNAMA