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Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad moves to reassure designated successor Anwar Ibrahim that he will eventually step aside
- No date has yet been set for the handover of power, which was a major part of the ruling Pakatan Harapan’s coalition agreement
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Malaysian democracy icon Anwar Ibrahim has once again been reassured that he will eventually become prime minister, even as his own People’s Justice Party (PKR) suffers from internal divisions and continued infighting.
In May, the Pakatan Harapan coalition – made up of PKR, the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu), National Trust Party (Amanah), and the Democratic Action Party – succeeded in toppling Barisan Nasional, the former ruling alliance, in an unprecedented electoral victory.
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As part of Pakatan Harapan’s coalition agreement, current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad promised to some day step aside and make way for Anwar, who is president of the PKR but could not participate in the general election due to a 2015 conviction for sodomy that he maintains was politically motivated. He was freed and received a royal pardon days after the polls.
During Bersatu’s annual general assembly last weekend, Mahathir reiterated that “a promise is a promise”, after a delegate suggested that the 93-year-old should remain in post until the next election in five years time.
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Mahathir told party delegates that he was only meant to be a temporary prime minister and, while he was aware of his widespread support and calls to remain, one of the coalition’s conditions of unity was that “their former enemy can only [be] prime minister as a temporary measure”.
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