An inconclusive general election in Malaysia produced the country’s first hung parliament.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim won the most seats, but his Pakatan Harapan alliance fell short of a majority.
The ruling coalition, led by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, suffered the worst electoral defeat in its history, winning just 30 of the 178 seats it was running for.
Veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad lost his seat, suffering his first defeat in 53 years.
At 97, Mr Mahathir dominated Malaysian politics for decades, having served as the country’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003. He was credited with the country’s rapid economic transformation from the 1980s.
The country is now politically unstable, having seen three prime ministers since voters went to the polls in 2018.
The former ruling party, UMNO, recorded the worst electoral results in its history. Voters instead turned to Perikatan Nasional and the conservative Islamist party PAS.
Rival parties must now put forward the name of a candidate they believe has majority support in the lower house of parliament.
The standoff means that the support of parties in eastern Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, will be essential. They are expected to push for a better deal for their region under Malaysia’s federal system.
A regional coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, is willing to work with former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the incumbent administration to form a new government, according to a state media report.
“I am confident that I will get enough support from lawmakers to allow me to be appointed prime minister by the king,” Muhyiddin said, without suggesting which other parties might support him.