THERE should be no pressure put on him or Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the transition of power, said Anwar Ibrahim.

“After my discussion with (Dr Mahathir), it is going to be after Apec, so we will deal with it and I don’t think anyone should be put under pressure.

“Neither me or Tun Mahathir,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Help University’s “The Construct of a Nation: As I See It” symposium.

He said the transition of power is part of the deal and can be resolved in half an hour, adding that the economy is a more pertinent matter to discuss.

On whether he will seek a date for the handover, Anwar said: “No, we will discuss (it).”

“And again, I reiterate that (Dr Mahathir) should be given the latitude because both of us and the Pakatan (Harapan) council have decided that the change will be smooth, peaceful and orderly, and (that we will) still continue to work as a team,” said Anwar, who is PKR president.

The PH presidential council is set to hold a meeting tomorrow, during which the transition plan is expected to be discussed.

On whether he will be a part of the cabinet before taking office as prime minister, Anwar said that it is not part of the plan. 

Asked if Dr Mahathir will be a part of his cabinet after stepping down, Anwar said it will be helpful to have the veteran statesman on board due to his vast experience, especially in terms of steering the economy forward. 

“I leave it to the (PH presidential) council and I am open to the idea,” he said. 

Dr Mahathir previously said that he will hand over the post after APEC, which Malaysia will host in November. – February 20, 2020.