Ismail Sabri sworn in as Malaysia's new prime minister

KUALA LUMPUR -- Ismail Sabri Yaakob, former deputy prime minister, was sworn in on Saturday as the new prime minister of Malaysia.

TV live-broadcast showed Ismail Sabri, wearing traditional Malay clothes, took the oath of office in front of Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at the national palace.

Ismail Sabri, 61, is the vice president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and had served in the cabinet of previous Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as defense minister before being appointed as deputy prime minister in July.

He has received backing from his own party UMNO and other parties in Muhyiddin's government, which gave him the simple majority in the lower house of the parliament.

In a statement on Friday, the national palace said Ismail Sabri received backings of 114 out of the 220 members of the lower house of the parliament which given him the confidence of the parliamentary majority to form the government, hence Sultan Abdullah agreed to appoint him as prime minister in accordance with the constitution.

According to Malaysia's constitution, the King shall appoint a prime minister who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the lower house. The constitution also stipulates that if the prime minister ceases to command the majority, the prime minister shall tender resignation of the cabinet unless at his request the King dissolves the parliament.

Ismail Sabri is succeeding Muhyiddin who resigned on Monday after losing majority support in the lower house of the parliament.

Before Ismail Sabri's appointment, Sultan Abdullah instructed any new prime minister being appointed shall seek a confidence vote in the lower house of the parliament as soon as possible to prove the support of the majority.