“Anwar is our candidate, the only candidate from the opposition. My party will give full support to Anwar as prime minister,” Shafie told The Borneo Post today.

According to the Sarawak daily, the former Sabah chief minister was unable to secure support from members of the ruling coalition in Sarawak, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), to make up the numbers he had initially hoped for.

The opposition is said to have a solid 105 seats and need seven more to have the majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

GPS, which was a key partner in the Perikatan Nasional-led government which fell on Monday, has 18 MPs. Speaking to FMT earlier today, a party member said the group would back Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob for the post of prime minister.

“We have agreed in principle to support Ismail to become prime minister…,” said Santubong MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jafaar, a member of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Supreme Council. PBB is the main component in GPS.

During an interview on Agenda Awani last night, Shafie claimed that both PKR president Anwar and him have the support of 105 MPs, with whoever is able to gain the additional numbers to form a simple majority of 111 MPs to be named as the opposition’s nominee.

“If Anwar gets more, I will concede; likewise, if I get more votes, he has to support me,” he said yesterday.

MPs have until 4pm today to inform the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of their candidate for the nation’s ninth prime minister, to replace Muhyiddin Yassin who stepped down on Monday after losing his majority.