“I have made many mistakes in appointing my successors, so I don’t want to make another mistake this time,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) on the sidelines of a regional trade conference in Bangkok.

“One is very nervous about just letting go of the country to successors.”

According to FT, he expressed disappointment with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak, both of whom succeeded him in turn following his retirement in 2003.

Abdullah served as Malaysia’s fifth prime minister from 2003 to 2009 while Najib took over from 2009 until Barisan Nasional’s historic loss in the 14th general election last year.

“There was no actual date or time mentioned,” Mahathir was also quoted as saying.

“What I mentioned at the time when they appointed me… was that… I would not be permanently there, that means that I wouldn’t finish a whole term.”

Mahathir has remained coy over a specific date to hand over power to his designated successor, Anwar Ibrahim.

However, he assured yesterday that he would step down before the next general election, due by 2023.

“I cannot say whether it is two years or three years, but I will certainly step down as I promised.

“Although there are lots of people who have been asking me to carry on until the next election, that is their view,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.