Malaysian king picks ex-deputy PM as nation's new leader

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's longest-governing political party reclaimed the premiership it lost in a shock 2018 election defeat, after the king on Friday named its candidate, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as the country's new leader.

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's appointment essentially restores



Muhyiddin's alliance. It also brings back the rule of the United Malays National Organization, which had led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957 but was ousted in 2018 elections over a multibillion-dollar financial scandal.

King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said Ismail had secured the backing of 114 lawmakers to give him majority support. He said Ismail, 61, will be sworn in as Malaysia's ninth prime minister on Saturday.