However, the former prime minister was realistic that he would not be able to lead in the long term.
“I can’t stay for very long. At the most, I can last for two years,” he said in an interview published in The Mainichi newspaper today.
Mahathir, who was PM from 1981 to 2003, was cited as saying that he was up for the fight as PH prepares to challenge the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th general election (GE14).
“I decided to eventually form a party and this party needs to work with other opposition parties if it is going to challenge BN,” he said, referring to PPBM which he co-founded in September 2016.
He added that he assumed the leadership role in PH because its other components felt that he should.
Mahathir was announced as PH’s candidate for prime minister should the coalition wrest Putrajaya from BN in the polls, during PH’s annual convention on Jan 7.
On Jan 21, PPBM information chief Kamarudin Mohd Nor defended Mahathir’s ability to lead, saying age was no barrier as he was mentally sharp and had vast experience to share for the benefit of the people.
“So the issue does not arise. He can go anywhere and does not need to say much. Just wait for the election to come,” Kamarudin had said in rebuffing a suggestion by preacher Zamihan Mat Zin that Mahathir was too old to be politically active.
Zamihan had the day before said that an old man who had been in power for 22 years should enrol in a madrasah and spend time in prayer.
Without naming Mahathir, he said the person should stay out of politics and repent “for all his past mistakes”.
“And do charitable deeds for the hereafter. Stop thinking about politics when you’re old and about to die,” Zamihan said.
Mahathir was also quoted by The Mainichi as saying that he was committed to handing over the prime minister’s post to PKR de facto head Anwar Ibrahim after his release from prison, in the event PH won the election and he was made prime minister.
“We will try. We will do our best to get a royal pardon,” he said.
At its convention, PH also announced it would submit a fresh appeal to obtain a royal pardon for Anwar in order to lift a ban on him from active politics, with the aim of making him the eighth prime minister to succeed Mahathir.
Anwar, who was deputy prime minister under Mahathir from 1993 to 1998, is serving a five-year jail term for sodomy since 2015. He is expected to be released on June 8, after a one-third remission of his sentence for good behaviour.
In the meantime, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was named as PH’s deputy prime minister candidate.