No succession timeline but Mahathir says I am next PM: Anwar

Parti Keadilan Rakyat President Anwar Ibrahim says he is no hurry to know when he will be succeeding Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In a media conference at a Raya open house yesterday Anwar Ibrahim the Prime Minister in waiting said he disagreed with ‘reformasi’ elements calling for a timeline for leadership change in Malaysia.

A careful Anwar said the transition from Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was already decided before the May 2018 general elections.

“It was signed and agreed upon by all Pakatan Haparan parties that I will take over from Dr Mahathir. That was in January 2018 well before my release from jail and well before the May elections,” said Anwar.

He also said he disagreed with reformist groups such as ‘Otai Reformasi’ that Dr Mahathir had to set a timeline for the succession to take place, insisting that he is the next PM or Prime Minister No 8 as netizens are calling him.

The reformasi group urged Dr Mahathir to set a date for him to leave office amid the gay sex video scandal that has split the Pakatan regime right in the middle at both leadership and grass roots level.

Some are saying the PKR of Anwar Ibrahim is a ‘troubled party’ with gay activists and ministers at its helm, while others are openly speaking of the rumours that Azmin Ali was planning to take on Anwar in the latter’s bid to become the 8th PM of Malaysia.

Anwar has dismissed talks of such a challenge within his party or coming from Azmin. He gave his full support to Azmin in the sex scandal, insisting that he should not go on leave despite calls by many for the Economic Affairs Minister to relinquish his post until further notice.

A sex tape released on Whatsapp to journalists went viral last week in Malaysia showing an Azmin look alike having gay sex with a Malay man who later confessed it was him with the ‘minister’ in the video.

The police arrested the Malaysian man Haziq Abdul Aziz who is also a member of the PKR but he was released on bail pending police investigation of the said video.

-/TISG