KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today urged the public to stop pressuring Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to announce when he will relinquish his position as prime minister.

Anwar said those who are relentlessly asking these questions should give Dr Mahathir a break.

“Every single media conference, the press will ask (Dr Mahathir) ‘when are you going to retire?’.

“Give him a break, let him continue to serve,” said Anwar while answering a question regarding the succession plan of the prime minister, after his keynote address at the APEX Leadership Conference here.

Advertisement

Anwar said Dr Mahathir himself has conveyed to him that he will stand by his promise.

“That is what he said. He did tell me, and I appreciate this gesture. He said, ‘Anwar I made a promise, and I stand by it, but don’t let it be like this, forcing me to leave, compelling me to announce the exact date, because I will be a lame duck prime minister. I want to serve while I am (in office).’

“My point is, it is not about what Anwar wants, but what the country needs, which is new policies, assuring confidence to Malaysians and boosting the economy. That is paramount,” he added.

Advertisement

He also reiterated that there was a written agreement regarding the transition among the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders.

“The written agreement wasn’t only among the leaders, the message was also loud and clear to the masses during the elections (GE14).  

“That, in the interim, Dr Mahathir as prime minister and Wan Azizah (Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) as the deputy prime minister and once Anwar is released and able he will take over.

“And of course Mahathir and Azizah would withdraw,” he explained.

He also said that there has been no change in this position among the PH leaders, which include, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and PPBM.