Lim said Anwar should be aware that there are political forces which are “conspiring to end his premiership” at the earliest opportunity.

“Anwar should ignore Mahathir and learn the most important lesson of the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government – carry out as many institutional reforms in the early months of the new government as possible as he may not have five years,” he said in a statement today.

“He should carry out the promise he made after he was appointed prime minister that he would not compromise on good governance, the anti-corruption drive, judicial independence and the welfare of ordinary Malaysians.

“Mahathir missed the historic opportunity to make Malaysia great again, and this is the mistake which Anwar should not repeat.”

In an interview with Berita Harian last week, Mahathir said he was not confident about Anwar’s ability to face the economic downturn and help the post-Covid-19 recovery.

The former prime minister said he was worried about Anwar’s ability to formulate good strategies to lift the country out of its economic crisis, adding that Anwar also seemed preoccupied with maintaining support in the Dewan Rakyat.

Mahathir also claimed that Anwar, who was his deputy from 1993 to 1998, failed to solve the country’s economic problems after becoming acting prime minister for a few months in the late 1990s.