Malaysia’s hung election crisis drags out as party dithers

By EILEEN NG
Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s longest-ruling coalition says it has not decided which bloc to support after weekend elections left neither with enough seats to form a government on its own, and it would ask the nation’s king to give it more time. The National Front’s announcement has prolonged election uncertainty. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah later extended a 2 p.m. deadline until Tuesday for political leaders to name their choice for prime minister and an alliance that represents a parliamentary majority. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist bloc secured 82 parliamentary seats, short of the 112 needed for a simple majority. The Malay nationalist alliance led by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin said it has written oaths of support from over 112 lawmakers for it to form a government.