PRIME minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim said he has no reason to believe Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not step down in two years.

He told Al Jazeera in an interview aired this morning that an agreement signed in 2015 by all Pakatan Harapan leaders states that he will become prime minister.

At the time, PH – comprising Anwar’s PKR, Dr Mahathir’s Bersatu, DAP and Amanah – was just unveiled as the new opposition coalition.

The pact had come to an agreement that Anwar would be its candidate for prime minister should PH capture Putrajaya.

“I see no reason why I have to demand or harass him (Dr Mahathir) to resign earlier.

“What he is doing now is important, and I have some latitude myself to go meet old friends, relax a bit and enjoy myself… be a free man, and be with my family,” he told journalist Mehdi Hasan on the UpFront programme.

Hasan had asked Anwar what made him so confident that Dr Mahathir, who returned as prime minister after the historic May 9 general election, will step down.

“If you continue to harass him on when he is going to resign, naturally, his response will be, ‘let me stay, I have a task to perform’.”

Hasan then asked the PKR president-elect why he seemed desperate to return to Parliament and become prime minister so quickly, in contrast to what he had said upon his release from prison in May, that he wanted to take some time off to relax and give talks overseas.

Anwar is set to contest the Port Dickson by-election next month in his Parliament comeback bid.

“I was in prison for 10½ years. What you do there is read and relax.

“Now, four months have passed since the elections. I think it’s time for me to enter Parliament to assist in parliamentary reform.

“My understanding with Dr Mahathir is, he conducts the affairs of the state, while I ensure the parliamentary reform is effective.”

Anwar also discussed working with Dr Mahathir after the latter sacked him 20 years ago. It was during Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister, and Anwar was his deputy.

Asked how he could trust and work with the man who had supported his conviction and imprisonment over alleged corruption and sodomy, Anwar said it was Dr Mahathir who had reached out to him, to work together and rid the country of corruption and power abuse.

He said the cooperation between them is not a personal arrangement.

“(Dr Mahathir) has shown commitment towards reform. He has performed remarkably well in defending the reform agenda. I have no reason to suspect other motives.

“He is (93), and with his age and commitment, we should allow him (to do his work). 

“In the last four months, we have been proven right. He seems to be consistent and effective. That’s why the party and I support him totally.”

He said he also chose to forgive Dr Mahathir despite how he and his family had suffered for 20 years.

“Between our suffering and the country that was at stake, I chose the country, because I believe we can all affect change with this new attitude towards peace, compassion and justice, with our willingness to forgive.

“What is the relevance of religion if we don’t have compassion and forgiveness?”

Asked who he thought Malaysians today preferred as prime minister – himself or Dr Mahathir – Anwar said he is happy Dr Mahathir is in the post.

“He has been a firm leader. He’s doing extremely well. I won’t mind if Malaysians generally endorse that.

“He is immensely popular. I’ll grant that. I have no qualms about it. I don’t have to be an apologist to suggest otherwise.” – September 22, 2018.