When Muhyiddin was first hospitalised with reported diarrhoea on June 30, Twitter erupted with theories he had deliberately flushed his scheduled meeting with the Agong down the toilet.

Three days on, however, there has been no more news. At all. As far as can be divined the PM remains in hospital but the government is yet to release an official statement or update regarding his health. In the silence, reports are circulating social media in KL that he has undergone surgery to have his gall bladder and duodenum removed due to his long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Last June, of course, it was denied he was sick at all. In response to a Sarawak Report disclosure about his ongoing treatment the PM Office declared him to be ‘cancer free’.

Meanwhile, without a Deputy PM to step in, Malaysia is left in the dark and without a clear leader—or at least without word on who is running the country in the grips of an emergency of this man’s making, while Muhyiddin lies, potentially desperately ill, in hospital.

Yet decisions appear to be being made…. by someone. Law minister Takiyuddin popped his head over the parapet Friday morning to announce that the PM has decided to recall parliament as soon as possible, but without any news on his health. “As soon as possible” reeks of the same deliberate obfuscation as the claim that “diarrhoea” sent the nation’s leader to hospital for three days.

Countries have a right to information about their leader’s health and who is standing in. In the UK, when Boris Johnson was hospitalised with COVID-19 in April 2020, the press were given regular updates on his health and he directly addressed the nation via video on Twitter. Westminster stated that Boris was still “in charge of government” but nonetheless gave clear details about which Ministers would lead which meetings in his absence.

Similarly, when Trump was hospitalised for COVID-19 treatment in October 2020 the White House gave regular press statements, Trump’s personal physician himself gave updates on the then-president’s condition, and the man himself, unsurprisingly, tweeted during his stay.

It is absurd that a nation’s leader and his office should fail to update on his ill health at any time, but to do so during this tumultuous moment in history that has thrown the nation into crisis is unforgivable (along with his many other sins). Muhyiddin’s exploitative reign as PM guarantee him little sympathy from the people he has failed and calls abound for his resignation. However, it is increasingly unlikely he is in any state to throw his weight around which begs the question—who is pulling the strings now?