Malaysian ruling party leader Anwar Ibrahim says his succession as the next Prime Minister of the country should happen by 2020.
He is widely expected to become Prime Minister after PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad quits his post.
“There is no sign of any party introducing or promoting or lobbying for other names,” Anwar said. “It does not stop other individuals with ambitions, ” he said, describing them as “irrelevant.”
He said this in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday.
Yesterday, Dr Mahathir said he did not like to have a timeline drawn for his resignation because it will make his work difficult. He will not be able to deliver and there are many things to fix before he can think of retirement, he said to the BFM radio station in Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Mahathir returned as prime minister last year with a pledge to hand over power to Anwar, 72.
Many leaders of the Pakatan Harapan say there is a two-year timeline for Dr Mahathir to deliver and to leave the post to Anwar.
Others in the ruling coalition deny there is such a deal or the timeline for two years. They include Anwar’s own party members who are in a tussle against his leadership.
Among party members in the tussle against Anwar are ministers and top party officials. Anwar has also dismissed Dr Mahathir on the latter’s statement he had no posts for Anwar in his cabinet.
Dr Mahathir last month said he did not intend to have Anwar as a Minister in his cabinet since no one is resigning, which prompted Anwar’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to hit back at Mahathir saying if the PM quits his post, Anwar can then take over.
Anwar has also dismissed there is any dissent in his party. He won the support of a large majority of party divisions in an impromptu poll that quashed his deputy, Azmin Ali’s alleged charge to the PM’s post.
Azmin is struggling with a gay-sex video scandal that is not going away. /TISG