He added that the suggestion by opposition MPs that he remain prime minister until the next general election was only their opinion.

“That is their opinion. The one that will determine (me as prime minister) is the PH presidential council. We (the presidential council) will decide.

“If it was them (the opposition) that made me prime minister before the general election (14th), they would have the right to ask me to stay longer,” he said in a press conference last night before ending his two-day official visit to Turkmenistan.

Last Thursday, six Umno MPs, in a press conference at the Parliament lobby, voiced their support for Mahathir to continue as prime minister until the next general election.

They were Mohd Shahar Abdullah (Paya Besar), Adham Baba (Tenggara), Mastura Mohd Yazid (Kuala Kangsar), Abdul Rahman Mohamad (Lipis), Ismail Abdul Muttalib (Maran) and Ahmad Nazlan Idris (Jerantut).

Mahathir also said he could not set a specific time frame for the transition of power.

“I promise I won’t stay too long, but I think based on my past experience I can try to correct all the wrongdoings of (former prime minister) Najib (Razak).

“When I am satisfied, I will not continue (as prime minister) but I cannot give a specific time as the country is in really big trouble that we cannot easily solve. We have a lot of debt and Najib has damaged the government machinery.

“That, and other problems left by Najib, needs to be fixed,” he said.

Under the PH agreement before the 14th general election, it was stipulated that Mahathir would be appointed prime minister and that he would later hand over leadership to Anwar Ibrahim. However, no time frame was specified.