PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that it has been agreed upon that incoming PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be his successor.
"It is already agreed that, Datuk Seri Anwar is to be my successor.
"My relationship with Anwar is 'as good as can be'," Dr Mahathir said at a press conference after chairing the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's (Bersatu) supreme council meeting at Yayasan Selangor, here, today.
The Bersatu chairman said this when asked to decribe his relationship with Anwar, now that the latter is planning to contest in the Port Dickson parliamentary by-election after the seat's incumbent Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah announced his resignation.
On Wednesday, Anwar said he had already informed Dr Mahathir of the move to contest in Port Dickson.
Anwar said the decision, which forms part of the process to facilitate his return to Parliament and later, his transition to the role of the country’s eighth prime minister, was relayed to Dr Mahathir via a telephone conversation.
The former deputy prime minister said he also voiced his full support for Dr Mahathir in helming the country.
Dr Mahathir confirmed that Anwar called him from Hong Kong, to inform on plans to contest in the Port Dickson by-election.
"Yes her called me from Hong Kong, informed me on the by-election (Port Dickson). That is his right," Dr Mahathir said.
Dr Mahathir also said he told Anwar that he usually would not go down to the ground for by-election campaigns, but affirmed he would endorse Anwar's nomination for Port Dickson.
On Anwar being given a government post should he win, Dr Mahathir said this was not an issue as PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had already informed that Anwar would not be seeking any position in the government.
Additional reporting by Mohd Iskandar Ibrahim and Lokman Ariff Abdul Karim