Aug 20 (Reuters) - Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed as Malaysia"s new prime minister on Friday, taking charge of a country fraught with political discord and struggling to deal with a stubborn coronavirus crisis and stalling economy. Here are analyst and economist views about the new royal-appointed premier, whose rise marks the return to power of the Malays National Organisation (UMNO). read more SIVAMURUGAN PANDIAN, POLITICAL ANALYST, MALAYSIAN SCIENCE UNIVERSITY "As a prime minister during crisis, Ismail Sabri will have to focus on the pandemic and recovery plan. At the same time, he will have to strengthen the collaboration with the opposition parties, and improve communication within his own coalition. "With a razor-thin majority, he will need to make sure he does not face rebellions (by those) who are eyeing his position." WELLIAN WIRANTO, ECONOMIST, OCBC BANK IN SINGAPORE "The fact that a new PM can be found in a relatively short time ... is in itself a good thing. "However, it is unlikely to change the market perception that the country"s political landscape would stay fractured. "Political drama since last year has hit Malaysia at a most unfortunate time ... the immediate focus of the new government will be on curbing the (coronavirus) spread, or at least it should be." JAMES CHIN, ASIA INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA "As was widely expected, the rulers went through the procedures and there really was no other choice but to appoint Ismail Sabri. "The two biggest challenges ahead are, of course, firstly, COVID-19 and making sure that infections are under control. The second is to restart the economy. "As for divisions in the coalition, UMNO will be united now that it"s back in power. Its main goal now will be to destroy Bersatu (the party of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin)." ALEX HOLMES, EMERGING ASIA ECONOMIST, CAPITAL ECONOMICS "Ismail Sabri Yaakob takes over an economy poised to rebound strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic. But the new government looks ill-equipped to deal with the many long-term challenges facing the country. "The number one priority of the new prime minister will be ending the pandemic and supporting the economic recovery. "More worrying is what continued political instability means for the country"s medium-term prospects. "Ismail becomes Malaysia"s fourth different prime minister in three years. Given he remains dependent on an unwieldy coalition comprising to maintain power, the prospects of a return to stable politics seem remote. "A general election due to be held next year could lead to a further splintering of the political system." ADIB ZALKAPLI, DIRECTOR OF POLITICAL RISK CONSULTANCY BOWERGROUPASIA "For opposition supporters this must be disappointing - UMNO is back in the driver"s seat." "However, it"s important to note the historical significance of Ismail"s appointment. "For the first time, Malaysia will have a prime minister born after independence. Ismail is also the only candidate who had never served in the same Cabinet as Mahathir (Mohamad). "Malaysia is slowly but surely crawling into a post-Mahathir era." BRIAN TAN, REGIONAL ECONOMIST, BARCLAYS BANK "His appointment implies some policy continuity and, with the support of 114 MPs, possibly political stability in the near term. That said, his first task will likely be to forge political cooperation between UMNO and Perikatan Nasional. "With Mr. Ismail Sabri in charge, economic and fiscal policy will likely remain generally pro-growth and we expect fiscal consolidation to stay limited in 2022." Compiled by Rozanna Latiff, Liz Lee and Tom Westbrook; Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.