A timeline of events leading to Muhyiddin's resignation

Feb 24, 2020: A reformist ruling alliance collapses. PM Mahathir Mohamad quits.

Feb 29: The king names Muhyiddin as the new PM

March 4: Muhyiddin delays opening of Parliament

March 18: The government imposes a national lockdown to curb the pandemic

May 18: Parliament resumes for half day and shuts until July

May 29: The Bersatu party expels Mahathir, his son and three senior members.

July 28: Former Prime Minister Najib Razak, an UMNO lawmaker, is jailed in graft case

Aug 7: Mahathir forms a new ethnic Malay party to oppose the government.

Sept 23: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claims he has a majority to form new government

Sept 26: Muhyiddin’s alliance wins a crucial election to take back control of eastern Sabah state

Oct 13: Anwar meets the king but the palace says he didn’t produce a list of names of those backing him.

Oct 23: Muhyiddin meets the king to propose a state of emergency to curb a rise in Covid infections

Oct 25: The king rejects Muhyiddin’s proposed emergency, but calls for a halt to “politicking.”

Jan 12, 2021: Muhyiddin announces a state of emergency to tackle the pandemic

June 1: Malaysia enters a second nationwide virus lockdown

July 8: UMNO president says the party has withdrawn support for Muhyiddin and urges him to resign

July 26: Parliament reopens for a special five-day sitting to brief lawmakers on the pandemic.

July 31: The Health Ministry says Parliament will be shut for two weeks after Covid cases are detected.

Aug. 2: Dozens of opposition lawmakers protest Parliament’s closure and call for Muhyiddin to resign.

Aug. 3: UMNO declares the government has fallen after some of its lawmakers pull their support.

Aug. 4: Muhyiddin says he will prove his legitimacy to rule in a vote in Parliament next month.

Aug. 6: Second UMNO Cabinet minister resigns.

Aug. 13: Muhyiddin acknowledges that he may have lost majority support and seeks backing from Oppn

Aug. 16: Muhyiddin tenders his resignation to the king. (AP)