Long overshadowed by colorful contemporaries, the man who emerged from a week of turmoil as Malaysia¡¯s new prime minister on Sunday is a publicity-shy picture of conservatism.

When Muhyiddin Yassin, 72, heard news on Saturday that the king had picked him over 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, the outspoken leader who has dominated Malaysian politics for decades, he immediately dropped to the carpet in tears to give thanks to Allah.

¡°He is a very serious, boring man,¡± said one person who has worked with him for years and did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.