Ismail Sabri Yaakob To Become Malaysia's Third Prime Minister In Three Years

King Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin of Malaysia has appointed Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the country’s new prime minister.

What Happened: According to a CNBC report translating a Malay-language statement from the royal palace, Ismail will be sworn in on Saturday after receiving a majority vote of support from the parliament. He will become Malaysia’s third prime minister in three years.

Ismail replaces Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned as prime minister on Aug. 16 after a leadership tenure challenged by infighting within his United Malaysia National Organization political party and a COVID-19 crisis in Malaysia that has yet to abate. Muhyidding became prime minister on March 1, 2020, after the resignation of Mahathir Mohamad. His 17-month administration was the briefest in Malaysian history.

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The New Leader: The 61-year-old Ismail held multiple cabinet positions in the course of his political career, starting with minister for youth and sports from 2008-2009 and culminating with his appointment by Muhyiddin as deputy prime minister last month. His 40-day tenure as deputy minister was the shortest for that office.

During his political career, Ismail has repeatedly attracted controversy, most notably when he called on Malays to boycott businesses owned by the country’s Chinese minority in order to force them to lower their prices. Ismail was also sued by Nurul Izzah Anwar, a member of Parliament from the rival People’s Justice Party, after he accused her of being a traitor. A court ordered Ismail to pay Nurul damages for his remarks.

Photo by Sophie ds15/Wikimedia Commons.