'I will keep my promise to Anwar but Dewan Rakyat is ultimate decider'

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today reiterated that he will keep his promise to eventually hand over the premiership to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim but added that the ultimate decider would still be the Dewan Rakyat.

He added that even if a candidate comes from a party that enjoys a majority but he himself cannot command majority support, then the candidate won't be able to become prime minister.

"I have made a promise and we keep our promises. I am only prime minister with the support from my party (coalition), and in particular, the majority support from the Dewan Rakyat members.

"If I refuse to resign but the majority in the Dewan Rakyat rejects me, I will fall. So the ones that truly have the power are the Dewan Rakyat and its members," he said in an interview with The Malaya Post portal tonight.

As such, Mahathir said the Dewan Rakyat decides his fate and likewise would also decide the fate of any prime ministerial candidate.

"The party is one part of it but it must be from the majority. But even if it is from the majority party but a candidate is rejected by the Dewan Rakyat, he too cannot become prime minister," he said.

At present, PKR is the largest party in Parliament with 47 MPs followed by the DAP with 42 MPs, Bersatu with 26 MPs and Amanah with 11 MPs. Harapan's ally Warisan has nine MPs.

However, factional fighting between Anwar and his PKR deputy Mohamed Azmin Ali has raised questions on whether the former can command the support of all 47 PKR MPs.

PAS and some in Umno have also indicated that they will support Mahathir over Anwar.

Pressed if he would consider serving out a full term if support for him in the Dewan Rakyat increases, Mahathir merely smiled and said, "I don't know". - Mkini