KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has consented to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob being appointed as the ninth prime minister.
Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, in a statement, said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong determined that the Bera MP had garnered 114 nominations from members of parliament, thus giving him sufficient majority to form a government.
All 220 MPs had been asked to name a prime ministerial candidate via statutory declarations (SD), which were later verified by the King.
"From the SD, 114 MPs nominated Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. His Majesty has given assent to an audience for the 114 MPs yesterday to verify their support for the MP they have nominated as the prime minister.
"Therefore, His Majesty has appointed Ismail Sabri as prime minister in accordance with Article 40(2)(a) and Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution."
Ahmad Fadil said the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 2.30pm tomorrow at Istana Negara.
The Malay Rulers had earlier this afternoon convened for a special meeting presided by the King to discuss the country's current political affairs, in particular the appointment of Malaysia's ninth prime minister.
Yesterday, Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) MPs, including caretaker PM and Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, were among those granted an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to verify their candidate for prime minister.
Ismail Sabri was reported to have received support of MPs from Umno, Bersatu, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) and four independent MPs.
He needed support from at least 111 out of 220 MPs to garner a slim majority.
The Opposition had named PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as its PM candidate.
The political crisis was sparked after Muhyiddin resigned as prime minister on Monday after conceding that he had lost the majority support in Parliament.