The Umno vice-president, who is carrying out the duties of party deputy president following the sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin, said the move by Mahathir to meet his former political rival appeared to be a desperate political move to gather support for the Opposition.

“It should be seen as a desperate action,” he told reporters after a meeting with security industry players at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here today.

Zahid was asked to comment on the meeting between Mahathir and Anwar at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday where Anwar had a case relating to the National Security Council Act.

Mahathir sacked Anwar in 1998 as the deputy prime minister. Anwar was also sacked from Umno.

Anwar was later charged with corruption and separately with sodomy. He was sentenced to six years jail in 1999 on four counts of corruption.

He was released on Sept 2, 2004, after almost six years in prison when the Federal Court allowed his appeal against conviction for sodomy.

He is now serving a five-year jail term on another sodomy conviction.