Ismail Sabri arrives at Istana Negara to take oath as ninth Prime Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has arrived at Istana Negara for the presentation of the instrument of appointment and swearing-in ceremony as the ninth Prime Minister today.

The vehicle carrying the UMNO vice-president who is also Bera MP entered Gate Two of Istana Negara at 2,12 pm.

The ceremony is scheduled to be held before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at 2.30 pm.

Ismail Sabri, 61, filled the vacant post after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced his resignation as the eighth prime minister on Aug 16 after losing the majority support of the Members of Parliament.

Istana Negara in a statement yesterday announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has consented to the appointment of Ismail Sabri as the new prime minister in accordance with Article 40(2)(a) and Article 43(2)(a) of Federal Constitution.

ISMAIL-OATH (ARRIVAL) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

The decision was announced after a special discussion by the Malay Rulers chaired by Al-Sultan Abdullah for two hours at Istana Negara yesterday.

On Aug 17, His Majesty granted audience to heads and representatives of main political parties and on the same day, decreed all 220 members of Dewan Rakyat nominate one member of Dewan Rakyat to be appointed as Prime Minister via statutory declaration which should be sent to Istana Negara before 4 pm on Wednesday.

Through the statutory declarations, Ismail Sabri who was the deputy prime minister before this received the support of 114 MPs as the ninth prime minister and to form a new government.

In the previous government, Ismail Sabri held the post of Defence Minister apart from being assigned as Senior Minister (Security Cluster) to combat non-health aspects of COVID-19 situation in the country.

-- BERNAMA