Rashid, formerly of PKR, told Anwar not to make up “fairy tales”.

“The reality is that in order to be appointed a deputy speaker, you have to be voted in by the majority of MPs in the house.

“The prime minister of the day, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had proposed me for the post,” he said when met by reporters on the campaign trail here.

Rashid, who is seeking to defend his Batu Pahat seat, maintained that it was not Anwar who decided that he would be given the post.

“That’s enough of lying to the people. They’re not stupid, they won’t be duped by fairy tales that make it seem as though he’s so powerful and can make decisions like that,” he said.

“Because, at the time, (Anwar) was nothing more than an MP,” he added.

At a ceramah on Tuesday night, Anwar claimed Rashid had cried and begged him for the deputy speaker’s post. The PKR president did not elaborate when exactly this had purportedly occurred.

Rashid was among the ex-PKR MPs who were sacked by the party for their involvement in the Sheraton Move that resulted in the toppling of the PH government in 2020. He is now a member of Bersatu.