Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin signs a document on his first day at the prime minister's office in Putrajaya, Malaysia on March 2, 2020. — Reuters/File Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin defied mounting pressure to quit on Wednesday, saying he retained majority support among lawmakers and that he would prove it when the Southeast Asian nation's parliament reconvenes next month. Speaking in a televised address, Yassin said King Al-Sultan Abdullah agreed that he should remain in power pending the confidence vote, even though some members of his coalition have withdrawn support. Yassin's hold on power has been precarious ever since he emerged as prime minister in March last year, but the influential monarch had hitherto helped him survive in order to avoid political chaos as Malaysia battled surging Covid-19 infections and an economic downturn from multiple lockdowns.