Explainer: What to expect as Malaysia's split election leaves scramble to form govt - Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Malaysia's political leaders were scrambling to form a coalition government on Sunday after an election produced an unprecedented hung parliament, with no group able to claim a majority.

Longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin each said they could form a government with support from other parties, whom they did not identify.

Anwar's multi-ethnic Pakatan Harapan coalition won 82 seats in the lower house, short of the 112 needed for a majority but ahead of Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional alliance with 73 and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's Barisan Nasional with 30.

Analysts say the most likely government will again be a coalition of Muhyiddin's bloc, Barisan and another group.

But a minority government is possible if neither Anwar nor Muhyiddin can cobble together a majority.

The monarch has a largely ceremonial role, but the constitution empowers him to appoint as prime minister a lawmaker who he thinks can command a majority in parliament.

In 2020, when the government of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad collapsed, King Al-Sultan chose Muhyiddin as premier after interviewing all 222 lawmakers to decide who had majority support.

Muhyiddin said on Sunday he had received instructions from the palace on forming a government but did not disclose what they were.