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Dato' Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin. Origin The oldes ...
Haji Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...
Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian
politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...
who served as the 8th
Prime Minister of Malaysia The prime minister of Malaysia ( ms, Perdana Menteri Malaysia; ms, ڤردان منتري مليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the f ...
from March 2020 to August 2021. Appointed as prime minister amid a
political crisis Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studie ...
, Muhyiddin served for 17 months and resigned after losing parliamentary support, making him the second shortest-serving prime minister in Malaysian history after
Ismail Sabri Yaakob Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
. Muhyiddin grew up in the state of
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares mariti ...
and joined the state
public service A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...
after graduating from
University of Malaya The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
(UM). He assumed management positions at various state-owned companies. In 1978, he was elected as the
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
for
Pagoh Pagoh is a suburb in Muar District, Johor, Malaysia. Pagoh is accessible via one of the main interchanges on the North–South Expressway, the major expressway on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are several federal government insti ...
. During this term, he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the
minister of foreign affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
, deputy minister of federal territories and later deputy minister of trade and industry. As the
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares mariti ...
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
chief, he was the state's Menteri Besar from 1986 to 1995. He returned to federal politics in 1995. He was appointed to the
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
as Minister of Youth and Sports. He was appointed Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs after the 1999 general election and became a vice president of UMNO in 2000. Under the premiership of
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
, Muhyiddin served as
Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia is Mohamad Sabu, since 3 December 2022. Mohamad is assisted by Deputy Minister. The Minister administers the portfolio through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. List of mini ...
from 2004 to 2008, and then as Minister of International Trade and Industry from 2008 to 2009. In 2008, he contested and won the UMNO deputy presidency and was appointed
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
and Minister of Education by Prime Minister
Najib Razak Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malay ...
in 2009. As Minister of Education, Muhyiddin ended the use of English as the medium of instruction for science and mathematics in public schools. He also attracted controversy after describing himself as " Malay first" when challenged by the
Opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * '' The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Com ...
to pronounce himself as " Malaysian first". Muhyiddin was a vocal critic of his government and party over the 1MDB scandal; as a result, he was dropped from his position during Najib's mid-term cabinet
reshuffle A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet, or when the Head of State changes the head of government and a number of ministers. They are more common in parli ...
in July 2015, marking the first incumbent UMNO deputy president to be left out of the president's cabinet. In June 2016, he was expelled from UMNO. He participated in founding the political party Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU) under Mahathir in 2016. He returned to the
cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
after his coalition of parties
Pakatan Harapan The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the ...
won the
2018 Malaysian general election The 2018 Malaysian General Election, formally known as the 14th Malaysian General Election (), was held on Wednesday, 9 May 2018, for members of the 14th Parliament of Malaysia. At stake were all 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat (the legislature ...
. In February 2020, BERSATU withdrew from Pakatan Harapan, culminating in a
political crisis Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studie ...
as the coalition lost its majority in the
Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan ...
. Following Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
's subsequent resignation, Muhyiddin successfully formed new coalition
Perikatan Nasional The National Alliance ( ms, Perikatan Nasional; abbrev: PN) is a political coalition composed of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). This coalition was ...
by receiving support from enough MPs to form a
majority government A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. This is as opposed to a minority government, where the largest party in a legislature only has a plurality of seats ...
, and was appointed Prime Minister on 1 March. Much of his premiership was overseeing Malaysia's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, which became a major crisis shortly after he took office. This included enacting several iterations of the Movement Control Order (MCO), a vaccination programme and declaring a 2021 state of emergency, where parliament and elections were suspended. Although his government's initial response was praised by the WHO and had high local approval ratings, the worsening of the COVID-19 crisis in 2021 attracted criticism and destabilised the coalition. Major coalition party
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
withdrew support for Muhyiddin and called for his resignation, in a continuation of the country's political crisis. On 16 August 2021, he resigned after attempts to regain support from MPs were unsuccessful. He remained caretaker Prime Minister until his replacement
Ismail Sabri Yaakob Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
was selected on 21 August 2021.


Early life and education

Muhyiddin was born as Mahiaddin bin Md. Yasin in Muar, Johor, Malaysia. His father,
Haji Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...
Muhammad Yassin bin Muhammad, was a Malay of
Bugis The Bugis people (pronounced ), also known as Buginese, are an ethnicity—the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassar and Toraja), in the south-western province of Sulawesi ...
descent. Muhammad Yassin was an
Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ma ...
theologian and
cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
based in Bandar Maharani, Muar, Johor, while his mother, Hajjah Khadijah binti Kassim, was a Malay of Javanese descent. Muhyiddin received his primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Maharani, Muar, Johor, and Sekolah Kebangsaan Ismail, Muar, Johor. He received his secondary education at the Muar High School, Johor. Subsequently, he attended the
University of Malaya The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
, Kuala Lumpur. He received
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
(BA) in
Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...
and Malay studies in 1971.


Early career

After completing his studies, Muhyiddin joined the Johor state public service as the assistant secretary of training and scholarship. In 1974, he was appointed the assistant district officer (ADO) of Muar. He left the civil service to join the corporate sector in the Johor State Economic Development Corporation (PKENJ), managing its subsidiary companies like Sergam Berhad as managing director (1974–1977), Equity Mal (Johore) Sdn Bhd as Director (1974–1978), Sri Saujana Berhad as managing director (1974–1978) and SGS Ates (M) Sdn Bhd as Human Resources Manager (1974).


Early political career (1971–1995)


Early year

Muhyiddin's involvement in politics began when he joined
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
as an ordinary member at the Muar Dalam division in 1971. He was elected as
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
youth chief of the Pagoh division and the secretary in 1976. Later he became Youth Chief of Johor state
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
Youth until 1987. Muhyiddin occupied the seats of Exco in the national Malaysia UMNO Youth. In 1984, Muhyiddin was elected the UMNO division chief of Pagoh, replacing
Othman Saat Othman Saat (4 April 1927 – 27 October 2007) was a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), and later, Spirit of 46 Malay Party (S46), who served as the 11th Menteri Besar of Johor in Malaysia. Political ...
. Muhyiddin rose the ranks and file of Johor UMNO quickly. From being a state executive council member, he rose to become
Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares mariti ...
UMNO's head and later became Menteri Besar of Johor. Muhyiddin contested and was elected Member of Parliament for the Pagoh constituency in the 1978 general election and kept the seat until 1982. Muhyiddin was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; subsequently, he was promoted to Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Federal Territories and later the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In 1984, Muhyiddin contested a UMNO Supreme Council seat but lost. Muhyiddin was later appointed the UMNO Johor state liaison chairman and next appointed a Supreme Council member. In November 1990, he was a candidate for the UMNO vice-presidency but lost again. He attempted again in the November 1993 UMNO party election, successfully this time.


Menteri Besar of Johor

In the 1986 general election, Muhyiddin contested and won the Johor State Legislative constituency seat of Bukit Serampang, opening the path for him to become the Menteri Besar of Johor on 13 August 1986. His tenure as Menteri Besar lasted until 6 May 1995.


Rise to prominence (1995–2009)

Muhyiddin returned to contest the Pagoh parliamentary seat in the 1995 General Election. He served several different federal government cabinet posts as Minister of Youth and Sports (1995–1999), Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (1999–2004),
Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia is Mohamad Sabu, since 3 December 2022. Mohamad is assisted by Deputy Minister. The Minister administers the portfolio through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. List of mini ...
(2004–2008) and Minister of International Trade and Industry (2008–2009). He was appointed
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
and Minister of Education by Prime Minister
Najib Razak Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malay ...
in 2009. He lost the 1996 election when defending the vice-president post. Eventually, in the election in 2000, he again won the post of vice-president of UMNO, remaining in that post until the October 2008 party election, when Muhyiddin successfully sought the higher post of deputy president, which was left vacant as the incumbent, Najib Razak (who was acting party president after the retirement of
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
), became UMNO president.


2009 UMNO General Assembly and party election

Muhyiddin attacked
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
's original transition plan as "too long", and some people say that at one point, Muhyiddin was about to ask and force Abdullah to quit, though he never did so directly. During the 2008 general election, Muhyiddin managed to keep his seat and remained as an UMNO leader. Shocked by the election results, he called for reforms. During the 2009 UMNO General Assembly and party election, Muhyiddin was a candidate for the deputy president post, which was vacated by the incoming prime minister Najib Tun Razak. He was challenged by
Mohd Ali Rustam Tun Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd. Ali bin Mohd. Rustam ( ms, محمد علي بن محمد رستم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 24 August 1949) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malac ...
, Malacca chief minister, and Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Rural and Regional Development Minister. Muhyiddin, seen as a supporter of
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
, was seen to be the front-runner for the race, garnering many nominations by the UMNO divisions. Nevertheless, the competition was tough, as Taib and Rustam gained more ground, especially from the Badawi camp. Political analysts tipped the race to be very tight. However, the UMNO supreme council decided to disqualify Ali Rustam's candidacy after his assistants were caught involved with corruption after an investigation. The election resulted in Muhyiddin's election to the post with 1,575 votes to Muhammad Taib's 916.


Deputy premiership (2009–2015)

Muhyiddin was appointed deputy prime minister on 9 April 2009, when Najib took over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and unveiled his
first Cabinet First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
. Continuing as Minister for Education, he announced the decision to return to the teaching of mathematics and science in Malay in all government primary and secondary schools. Muhyiddin waded into controversy in March 2010 by stating he was " Malay first" rather than " Malaysian first". He also said that there is nothing wrong with other races doing the same; for example, the Chinese could claim themselves to be " Chinese first, Malaysian second" and same for the Indians. On 13 July 2010, he said that anyone was free to form an association, including Chinese or Indian versions of the Malay rights group
Perkasa Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa ( Malay for "Mighty Native Organisation" or better known by its acronym: Perkasa), is a Malay dominance non-governmental organisation (NGO) that was formed by Ibrahim Ali in the aftermath of the 2008 general electi ...
. Prime Minister Najib came to Muhyiddin's defence, denying that his statement was inconsistent with the "
1Malaysia 1Malaysia (pronounced ''One Malaysia'' in English and ''Satu Malaysia'' in Malay) is a programme designed by Malaysian 6th Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in summer 2009 with the stated goal of promoting ethnic harmony, national unity, a ...
" concept promoted by the government.


Sacked from the cabinet

During Najib's mid-term Cabinet reshuffle on 28 July 2015, he was dropped from his position as Deputy Prime Minister. The dismissal came after Muhyiddin had made public and critical remarks about Najib's handling of the
1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal The 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, often referred to as the 1MDB scandal or just 1MDB, describes a corruption, bribery and money laundering conspiracy in which the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was ...
. Najib stated that Muhyiddin's dismissal, and the contemporaneous dismissals of other Ministers who had been critical of his leadership, was to create a more "unified team". Muhyiddin remained UMNO deputy president, but after keeping up criticism of UMNO, he was eventually sacked by the party's supreme council in June 2016. Muhyiddin remained unrepentant, maintaining that he had never betrayed the party and pledging to continue speaking out.


Post deputy premiership (2015–2020)


Establishment of BERSATU party

In August 2016, Muhyiddin registered a new political party, called
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia The Malaysian United Indigenous Party ( ms, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia), abbreviated BERSATU or PPBM, is a nationalist political party in Malaysia. The party was preceded by the United Indigenous Association of Malaysia (). It is a major c ...
(PPBM or Bersatu for short) together with former Malaysian prime minister
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
. Muhyiddin became the party's president while Mahathir and his son Mukhriz became the chairman and deputy president. The new party is focused on Bumiputera – Malays and
Orang Asli Orang Asli (''lit''. "first people", "native people", "original people", "aborigines people" or "aboriginal people" in Malay) are a heterogeneous indigenous population forming a national minority in Malaysia. They are the oldest inhabitants ...
– in the sense that full membership is only open to Bumiputera. Other races can join the party but cannot vote or contest in party elections.


Minister of Home Affairs

He was appointed as Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs by Prime Minister Tun Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
when
Pakatan Harapan The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the ...
won the 14th General Election.


Prime Minister (2020–2021)

On 29 February 2020, a week after the country was thrown into a
political crisis Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studie ...
, Muhyiddin was appointed
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
by the
King of Malaysia The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
, following the abrupt resignation of
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
five days before. He is the first person appointed to the position while holding both a parliamentary and state seat at the same time.


COVID-19 pandemic and movement control order

During his administration,
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
spread throughout the nation. In response, Muhyiddin implemented the
Movement Control Order Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
(MCO) on 16 March 2020 to prevent the disease from infecting more Malaysians. The MCO started nationwide from 18 March and was extended conditionally to 9 June 2020. In response to the economic impact of COVID-19, he introduced an economic stimulus package worth RM 250 billion on 27 March to soften the economic strain during the MCO. On 1 May, in conjunction with Labour Day, Muhyiddin announced a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). Certain economic sectors were allowed to operate gradually as long as SOP are followed. Travel restrictions are partially lifted to allow stranded students staying on their campuses and people who are stuck in other states to return to their respective home. Sports, recreational, and large gatherings are still prohibited under the CMCO. On 10 May, it was announced that the CMCO will last for another four weeks until 9 June. More sectors will be allowed to operate and fewer restrictions are to be applied. Shopping malls, dine-in and non-contact sports are allowed as long as social distancing is observed. The CMCO was converted into Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) and ran from 10 June until 31 August. Under the RMCO, more restrictions will be relaxed to allow the public to carry out their daily activities while complying with standard operating procedures. Almost all social, religious, business, and educational activities are allowed to resume. Hair salons, morning and night markets, and sports-related businesses like gymnasiums will open on a staggered basis, as well as religious congregation such as prayers as long as strict SOPs are followed. Reflexology centres, nightclubs, theme parks, karaoke centres, and gatherings such as kenduri (feasts) are still barred during the RMCO. The government's COVID-19 response had a 93% approval rating in September 2020, with 69% approval for Muhyiddin himself. Until early September 2020, Malaysia had a low number of COVID-19 cases. Infections rose following the 2020 Sabah state election in September, leading to a surge in
Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...
which spread to the
Klang Valley Klang Valley ( ms, Lembah Klang; zh, 巴生谷; ) is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is co ...
area. However, unlike the initial promise to reinstate the Movement Control Order (MCO) if the case returns to 3 digits, the government only imposed the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) under the name of "economy". The government did not impose the MCO until January 2021. Nevertheless, the "MCO 2.0", was criticised for being not as strict as the "MCO 1.0" from March to May 2020. The government's mismanagement of the second and third waves provoked widespread anger among Malaysians, such as hashtags like "''#KerajaanGagal''" (means Failed Government) and/or "#MuhyiddinOut" which trended online. During the third wave in the mid 2021, a "Black Flag Campaign (''Bendera Hitam'')" became a trend, urging Muhyiddin to immediately resign. On July 31, 2021, hundreds of protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur calling for Muhyiddin's resignation over his government's response to the pandemic.


Foreign relations


Myanmar

After a bilateral meeting, Muhyiddin and Indonesian President
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elit ...
called for a special meeting of
ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, milita ...
on
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
after the 2021 coup d'état. After the April 2021 meeting, where representatives from the deposed
National League for Democracy The National League for Democracy ( my, အမျိုးသား ဒီမိုကရေစီ အဖွဲ့ချုပ်, ; abbr. NLD; Burmese abbr. ဒီချုပ်) is a liberal democratic political party in Myanmar (Burma). It ...
did not attend, Muhyiddin announced that Malaysia's three proposals to
Min Aung Hlaing Min Aung Hlaing ( my, မင်းအောင်လှိုင် abbreviated: MAL ; born 3 July 1956) also known as Alaungsithu is a Burmese politician and army general who has ruled Myanmar as the chairman of the State Administration Co ...
were not rejected, including calls to end violence against civilians during the 2021 Burmese protests, release of political detainees, and allow the Chair of ASEAN access to Myanmar.


Proclamation of emergency

On 19 October 2020, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah of Pahang rejected Muhyiddin's request for him to issue a state of emergency, proclamation of emergency in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout the country. However, on 21 January 2021, a new request to issue a 2021 Malaysian state of emergency, proclamation of emergency was granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and is expected to last until 1 August. Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament and all Elections in Malaysia, elections were suspended while the proclamation was in effect.


Loss of majority support and resignation

On 8 July 2021,
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
withdrew support for Muhyiddin and called for his resignation in July 2021 over the handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. As well as a failure to prevent a record rise in COVID-19 infections and deaths, UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi cited the management of the Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, severe economic impact, lack of Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics in Malaysia, political stability and extension of the
Movement Control Order Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
in his call for Muhyiddin to make way for a new interim premier. On 4 August 2021, Putrajaya, Muhyiddin Yassin submitted a motion of confidence to the Yang di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia stating that he had received numerous declarations which provided that he still had the majority support within the lower house of parliament
Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan ...
. Therefore, the action of resignation under Federal Constitution of Malaysia under section 43(4) is neither valid nor legal. He stated that the motion of no confidence will take place in September if the parliament has doubts of his ruling. However, this statement has been rejected by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim who claims that 112 or more MPs have rejected
Perikatan Nasional The National Alliance ( ms, Perikatan Nasional; abbrev: PN) is a political coalition composed of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). This coalition was ...
. Therefore, Anwar Ibrahim's statement concludes that Muyhiddin claims are not valid and potentially fraudulent. Following Anwar Ibrahim's statement, on 6 August 2021, Muhyiddin had stated during a press conference in Pagoh, Pagoh, Johor that is he is still confident that he still holds majority support within the Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament. On 15 August 2021, Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions), stated that Muhyiddin would resign on the next day. Muhyiddin and his cabinet submitted their resignation to Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the king on Monday, 16 August 2021.


Post-premiership (2021–present)


Chairman of the National Recovery Council

On 4 September 2021, Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali announced that Muhyiddin had been appointed as Chairman of the National Recovery Council (NRC), a Cabinet minister-level position and highest position in the important council in charge of the recovery efforts of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
based on confidence of the government in the ability of Muhyiddin in spearheading the COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategies.On 21 December 2022, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim dissolved NRC due to its redundancy and overlapping of duties, tasks and functions with other government agencies.


15th Malaysian General Election

Perikatan Nasional announced Muhyiddin Yassin as its candidate for prime minister ahead of the 2022 Malaysian general election, 15th Malaysian general election, which was held on 19 November 2022. In the election, Perikatan Nasional won a plurality of 73 seats out of 222 seats, below the 112 seats needed for a majority. After the election, Muhyiddin claimed to have a sufficient majority to be appointed as the prime minister, citing support from Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah. On 22 November, the royal palace stated that after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong reviewed the nominations for prime minister, he found that "no member of parliament has the majority support to be appointed prime minister", so he summoned both Muhyiddin and Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister candidate from the rival coalition
Pakatan Harapan The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the ...
, to see him. After the meeting, Muhyiddin said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong proposed a unity government between Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional, but he rejected it as Perikatan Nasional "will not cooperate" with Pakatan Harapan. Anwar Ibrahim was later appointed and sworn in as Malaysia's 10th Prime Minister on 24 November 2022, with the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah, after a consultation with the Conference of Rulers of Malaysia. However, Muhyiddin continued to insist that he had the support of a majority of 115 MPs to form the next government and called on Anwar to prove his majority.


Controversies and issues


Alleged misuse of RMAF helicopter

Muhyiddin, as the Deputy Prime Minister, has used a Royal Malaysian Air Force, RMAF Nuri helicopter to attend and open
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
's divisional assembly in the interior of Sabah, which has nothing to do with his official duties. His actions have been strongly criticized by the federal opposition led by Lim Kit Siang as it was a misuse of his powers as Deputy Prime Minister. Lim even questioned whether the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would investigate Muhyiddin, as MACC has been conducting various investigations into assemblymen in states controlled by Lim's Pakatan Rakyat.


Racial views

On 31 March 2010, Muhyiddin attracted controversy by declaring himself as a " Malay first" rather than a " Malaysian first" when responding to Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader Lim Kit Siang's challenge in the parliament for him to state whether he is a Malay or a Malaysian first. However, Muhyiddin retorted although he is Malay first, that doesn't mean he being Malay is not Malaysian. The Prime Minister
Najib Razak Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malay ...
defended Muhyiddin's "Malay first, Malaysian second" assertion and controversial statement even though it contradicts the
1Malaysia 1Malaysia (pronounced ''One Malaysia'' in English and ''Satu Malaysia'' in Malay) is a programme designed by Malaysian 6th Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in summer 2009 with the stated goal of promoting ethnic harmony, national unity, a ...
concept which talks of "a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second". Muhyiddin attracted criticism again on 12 April 2010 by calling the members of a new inter-faith committee 'small fry', causing strong reaction from the public and uproar from the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) to back off from joining the committee for the time being. Muhyiddin was quick to deny he ever say that and stated he was misquoted. Muhyiddin later doubled down and uttered 'Yes, I am Malay first and no apologies'.


Legal name dispute

On 2 April 2021, the Shah Alam court has reversed a preventive detention order signed by him during his time as the Minister of Home Affairs because he signed the order using his unofficial name, Muhyiddin bin Mohd. Yassin instead of his legal name/birth name, Mahiaddin bin Md. Yasin.


Involvement in the Sheraton Move

Following political infighting within
Pakatan Harapan The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the ...
, Malaysian United Indigenous Party, BERSATU President Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang, People's Justice Party (Malaysia), PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali, and
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
leaders Abdul Hadi Awang and
Ismail Sabri Yaakob Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
formed the
Perikatan Nasional The National Alliance ( ms, Perikatan Nasional; abbrev: PN) is a political coalition composed of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). This coalition was ...
government which led to a loss of Majority government, parliamentary majority for the ruling
Pakatan Harapan The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the ...
coalition, ultimately resulting in Mahathir Mohamad, Mahathir Mohamad's resignation as Prime Minister. This moment is widely regarded as the start of the 2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis, Malaysian political crisis. Following its formation, the
Perikatan Nasional The National Alliance ( ms, Perikatan Nasional; abbrev: PN) is a political coalition composed of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). This coalition was ...
government was the target of scathing criticism, with many calling its existence ''"democratically illegitimate"'' or more colloquially, a ''"backdoor government"''.


"Christianisation" claim

During a campaign speech on 17 November 2022, Muhyiddin accused Pakatan Harapan of working with Jews and Christians to "Christianise the country". He backed his claim by saying "I saw a video where a group of Jews were talking about Malaysia and were praying for the country to fall into the hands of the opposition, which has been sponsoring these groups of Jews and Christians. For me this is dangerous. Is a Christianisation process going to happen?". His remarks was condemned as religiously insensitive by the Council of Churches of Malaysia. Muhyiddin defended himself and claimed that he was taken out of context by saying that his speech was 55 minutes long, and that the remark was only 1 minute and 35 seconds long. He also claimed he was merely commenting on a supposed video clip that allegedly showed "foreign religious groups" praying for Pakatan Harapan to win.


Personal life


Family

He married Noorainee Abdul Rahman in 1972 and has 4 children; 2 sons and 2 daughters, namely Fakhri Yassin Mahiaddin, Nabilah Mahiaddin, and Farhan Yassin Mahiaddin respectively. All of his children are heavily involved in business and corporate, entertainment or writing industries. His son, Fakhri Yassin, was a corporate figure in Malaysia and assumed the position of Executive Chairman. The second child, Nabilah was involved in book writing while Najwa and Farhan Yassin shared the same interest in the entertainment industry.


Sport

He is an avid golf lover.


Health issues

In the aftermath of 2018 Malaysian general election, 2018 general election (GE14), Muhyiddin was diagnosed with an early-stage tumour in the pancreas. He had spent one month in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore from July to August 2018, during which he underwent a surgery to extract the tumour. The operation was successful and he returned to Malaysia in stable condition. He was scheduled for a series of follow-up chemotherapy treatment after Eid al-Adha, Hari Raya Haji, for up to six months. He told reporters at the Parliament, "for cancer cases such as this, it is normal to go through follow-up treatment including chemotherapy for 12 rounds over the duration of six months." Based on medical advice, Muhyiddin took a one-month medical leave to recover post-surgery. Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
took charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Malaysia), Ministry of Home Affairs during Muhyiddin's absence. On 22 May 2020, Muhyiddin entered into a 14-day quarantine after an officer who attended the post-Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on 21 May tested positive for COVID-19. On 4 June 2020, he completed the 14-day quarantine period and was tested negative for COVID-19. Therefore, he was allowed to return to the workplace to discharge his official duties as Prime Minister. On 9 February 2022, he confirmed that he had tested positive for COVID-19, was experiencing mild symptoms and would be undergoing quarantine.


Election results


Honours


Honours of Malaysia

*: ** Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia#Commander, Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (1988) *: ** Second Class of the List of post-nominal letters (Johor), Sultan Ibrahim Medal (PIS II) (1974) ** Second Class of the List of post-nominal letters (Johor), Star of Sultan Ismail (BSI II) (1979) ** Companion of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SMJ) (1980) ** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (SPMJ) – Dato' (1991) * : ** Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (SHMS) – Dato' Seri Diraja (2014) * : ** Knight Grand Commander of the List of post-nominal letters (Malacca), Exalted Order of Malacca (DUNM) – Datuk Seri Utama (2019) * : ** Ordinary Class of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Perak, Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah (SPSA) – Dato' Seri Diraja (2010) * : ** Knight Grand Commander of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Perlis, Order of the Crown of Perlis, the Star of Safi (SPMP) – Dato' Seri (2007) * : ** Principal Grand Knight of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Negeri Sembilan, Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SUNS) – Dato' Seri Utama (2010) *: ** Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu#Grand Commander, Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (2010) *: ** Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak#Panglima Negara Bintang Sarawak (P.N.B.S.), Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato Sri (2008) ** Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak#Datuk Patinggi Bintang Kenyalang (D.P.), Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DP) – Datuk Patinggi (2010)


Honorary degrees

* : ** 2012 International Honorary Doctorate from United States Sports Academy (2013) * : ** Honorary Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University (2014)


Honorary plaque

* : ** Honorary Plaque of the City of Sarajevo (2016)The City of Sarajevo awarded Plaques in Recognition of Support to Sarajevo and the Region to the following honorable guests: YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
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See also

*Pagoh (federal constituency) *List of international prime ministerial trips made by Muhyiddin Yassin


Notes


References


External links


Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Official Website

Johor Menteri Besar Office, Menteri Besar Biography, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

My KMU Johor, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin


{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhyiddin, Yassin 1947 births Living people People from Johor People from Muar Malaysian people of Bugis descent Malaysian people of Javanese descent Malaysian people of Malay descent Malaysian people of Indonesian descent Malaysian Muslims Malaysian political party founders Leaders of political parties in Malaysia Malaysian United Indigenous Party politicians Former United Malays National Organisation politicians Independent politicians in Malaysia Members of the Dewan Rakyat Members of the Johor State Legislative Assembly Chief Ministers of Johor Prime Ministers of Malaysia Deputy Prime Ministers of Malaysia Government ministers of Malaysia Agriculture ministers of Malaysia Education ministers of Malaysia Home ministers of Malaysia Industry ministers of Malaysia Trade ministers of Malaysia Johor state executive councillors University of Malaya alumni Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Knights Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak 20th-century Malaysian politicians 21st-century Malaysian politicians Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor Grand Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu