Good morning, here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

• Ismail on track to be PM
  
  
• Shafie backs Anwar
  
  
• Muhyiddin opens up
  
  

Ismail on track to be PM

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob is on track to be the next prime minister.

The Umno supreme council and BN MPs last night unanimously agreed to back Ismail as their prime minister candidate.

Bersatu, PAS, and GPS are also expected to rally behind Ismail - who had loyally served as deputy to now caretaker Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Barring any unexpected changes - this will give the Bera MP 115 lawmakers on his side, four more than a simple majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

MPs have until 4pm today to inform the Agong their choice for prime minister.

HIGHLIGHT

	Next govt must prove legitimacy - NGOs They call for a vote of confidence.
	What next, after the PN govt's collapse? Who are the power players involved?
	Fitch warns against prolonged instability This is to avoid spooking investors.

Shafie backs Anwar

Over on the opposition side, Warisan has agreed to throw support behind PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, if he can secure a majority.

However, Warisan hopes that Anwar would respond in kind if the Sabah party president, Shafie Apdal, manages to secure a majority instead.

Both sides had appeared confident yesterday that they could make up the numbers, but the opposition being united may be too little, too late.

Bersatu-splinter party Pejuang has said it would support either Anwar or Shafie, but that it was also open to backing Ismail if it meant blocking Umno's "court cluster".

HIGHLIGHT

	Anwar: King wants 'new politics' Politicians had a consensus to drop 'old politics'.
	Police submit MPs march probe to AGC This is over the march to Parliament on Aug 2.
	Bersih: Institutionalise opposition 'Opposition should do more than oppose the govt.'

Muhyiddin opens up

In a press conference after resigning as prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin opened up on how the Covid-19 pandemic had been an albatross around his government's neck.

While he denied that the government had failed in its duties, Muhyiddin said he felt responsible for the over 12,000 Covid-19 deaths reported during his tenure.

He also said that he was exhausted by the battle against the pandemic, and was also sad that he had to leave the office with work unfinished.

Muhyiddin will continue to serve as caretaker prime minister until a successor is sworn in.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Return as PM? Let's see, Muhyiddin says Pagoh MP keeps his options open.
	What's a caretaker PM's job? 'He can't make major decisions.'
	I did my best - Zafrul 'History shall be the better judge.'

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 19,631 new cases yesterday (Aug 17)
  
  
• The Klang Valley's case count is on an eight-day continuous downtrend.
  
  
• Several other states, namely Sarawak, Sabah, Kedah, Johor, Penang, Kelantan and Perak, are reporting more and more cases.
  
  
• The death toll is now at 13,077.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• The Health Ministry is playing hot potato with its contractors over who is responsible for vaccinating hospital contract workers after an unvaccinated contract cleaner died from the virus.
  
  
• The Lambda variant has yet to be detected in Malaysia, according to the latest sequencing tests.
  
  
• Four men were charged with insulting Malacca Governor Mohd Ali Rustam over his visit to a village where Filipino Olympic gold medalist weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz had trained.
  
  
• A former Election Commission chief proposed that a general election be held with virtual campaigning to overcome political instability.
  
  

What are people saying?

	Resetting the Covid-19 war with a new government By Liew Chin Tong
	The PM we want By Nathaniel Tan
	Let Harapan govern what's left of its mandate By William Leong