As long as Mahathir resigns before the 17th of July 2023, he would technically have fulfilled his promise. But the general election is unlikely to be called in 2023.
And assuming that the present version of Pakatan Harapan collapses and is replaced by a new Mahathir-led coalition, currently in the works, the so-called promise would be rendered null and void.
Well-placed sources have confirmed over and over again that the general election will be held “before May 2021,” expressing confidence that it could even be as early as May next year.
Regardless the date, it is absolutely certain that the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia isn’t going to be Anwar, who is likely to find himself in legal turmoil months ahead of the national poll.
SUBANG JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reiterated that he will step down as Prime Minister within three years, a commitment he first made on the 24thof June 2019 after beating round the bush for a while.
However, unlike the previous announcement he made no mention whatsoever of PKR president Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and merely spoke of a “candidate.”
“Work is very tough now, I have to work 18 hours a day because I don’t have much time.
“I promised I would step down before the next election, and give way to another candidate.
“So I may have, at the most, three years perhaps, and during that three years I need to accomplish a lot of things,” he said.
Continued after video by the Star Online
Mahathir was speaking at a dialogue session with members of the United States Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York on Thursday.
The statement is consistent with a revelation made previously by TTF with regards to the so-called premiership succession agreement that Anwar keeps insisting is signed.
On the 20th of July 2019, I wrote:
According to a report by the New Straits Times Online, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today reaffirmed that he will keep his promise on his tenure as the country’s Prime Minister as agreed by Pakatan Harapan (PH).
However, the exact constitution of the said agreement is as yet hazy, as Mahathir himself has gone from his tenure being two years to three years to “I’ll leave when I’m ready.”
As a matter of fact, not only did Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Mahathir recently rubbish Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that the agreement was signed, a Mahathir loyalist went so far as to say that the next in line was Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali, not Anwar.
I added:
I wishes to note, that when Mahathir said he would not stay on “a full term,” the focus should be on the actual meaning of “a full term” and not what one believes a full term means.
For the record, a full term in Malaysia refers to a five-year period beginning the day parliament first convenes following a general election.
That is to say, if Mahathir or whoever may replace him as Prime Minister does not call for the dissolution of parliament by or before the 17th of July 2023, the 14th Malaysian parliament automatically gets dissolved.
However, if Mahathir chooses to call for the dissolution of parliament in 2020 or 2021, he would technically have fulfilled his promise to relinquish his post “before the full term is up.”
Actually, as long as Mahathir resigns before the 17th of July 2023, he would technically have fulfilled his promise.
But the general election is unlikely to be called in 2023.
Assuming that the present version of Pakatan Harapan collapses and is replaced by a new Mahathir-led coalition – currently in the works, the so-called promise would be rendered null and void.
Well-placed sources have confirmed over and over again that the general election will be held “before May 2021,” expressing confidence that it could even be as early as May next year.
Regardless the date, it is absolutely certain that the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia isn’t going to be Anwar, who is likely to find himself in legal turmoil months ahead of the poll.
RJ RITHAUDEEN
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