KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The largest party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition has declared its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, providing some respite for the premier as he faces calls to resign after a failed bid to impose an emergency to tackle the coronavirus.Muhyiddin, who has a thin majority in parliament, is under pressure from unhappy coalition partners who have demanded more powerful positions while a resurgence in novel coronavirus cases batters the economy. Calls for Muhyiddin to resign grew after the king on Sunday rejected his request for a declaration of emergency rule, which followed a challenge to his leadership. Critics have accused the premier of using the pandemic as an excuse to suspend parliament and avoid a test of his majority. The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party, which had this month threatened to withdraw support for Muhyiddin, said it would now back him as the time had come for reconciliation to ensure stability and to focus on managing the pandemic. Malaysian shares rose on Tuesday after the UMNO decision to back the government. The benchmark KLSE equity index was 0.6% higher while the ringgit held steady at 4.163 to the dollar. UMNO also said it would not work with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s party, rejecting a proposal to do so from a former premier, and now-ruling party lawmaker, Najib Razak.