KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has rejected a report claiming he became federal Opposition leader to sabotage Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who submitted a motion of no-confidence against the prime minister.

The PKR president asserted in a Facebook Live session today that Pakatan Harapan decided on his role weeks before the former prime minister notified Parliament he intended to table the motion on Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Port Dickson MP was rebutting an article from The Star that alleged he took up the role to undermine Dr Mahathir’s motion.

He pointed out that Pakatan Harapan secretariat chief Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution also wrote to Parliament to inform them of the former’s appointment in April.

"In fact, the letter was sent on April 30, the decision was made weeks before, meaning in March itself the decision was made about the opposition leader position. 

"This was not made known yet at the time because we want to inform the rest of the opposition parties,’’ he said.

On May 7, Anwar disclosed in a Facebook live event that he will be the new federal Opposition leader.

In a letter dated May 4 that Malay Mail sighted, former prime minister Dr Mahathir notified Parliament of his intention to table a motion of no-confidence against his immediate successor.

Speaker Tan Sri Mohd Ariff Yusof accepted this but rejected Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s proposed motion of confidence on Dr Mahathir.