The Malaysian Prime Minister, Mr. Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved the parliament on Monday.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister met the monarch, King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who consented to (agreed to) the dissolution. The parliament still had nine months left in its elected tenure.
In Malaysia, the monarch must approve such an action formally.
Why was this done?
PM Ismail belongs to the United Malays National Organization (UNMO). UNMO currently leads a coalition government. The party has been disagreeing with its coalition partners.
The Prime Minister hopes that in the next elections, his party will get absolute majority and will be able to implement its policies.
What happens now?
The Election Commission of Malaysia will now meet to decide the dates for the snap polls to elect the new government. As per the Constitution of Malaysia, the new polls must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the parliament.
The opposition parties of Malaysia have asked that the polls should not be held during monsoons. Since Malaysia is a tropical country, monsoon is typically a period of storms and cyclones.