WE will work together just fine, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said of himself and his former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.

Dr Mahathir, who sacked Anwar from government and had him tried for sodomy and corruption in 1998, said both of them were putting the country’s interests first.

“Everything is going well. We can meet and discuss matters. We do not need to talk much about the past,” Dr Mahathir said in an interview with representatives from Pakatan Harapan party organs today.

The de facto PKR leader, who was released from prison on a full royal pardon on Tuesday, is slated to become the next prime minister after Dr Mahathir, who has said he needs up to two years to improve the economy and correct the previous administration’s misdeeds.

Dr Mahathir, who is also PH’s chairman, told the PH presidential council yesterday that Anwar, despite not holding a cabinet post, would be included as one of the coalition’s “top six” leaders.

Anwar has to secure a parliamentary seat through a by-election before he can assume the prime minister’s post.

Dr Mahathir did not deny there had been attempts to drive a wedge between him and Anwar with past controversies, but stressed that there was no point in pursuing the past when there was so much work to do for the future.

“If we keep looking back, there will be nothing we can discuss together,” he said.

The 92-year-old leader admitted that he had differences of opinion with Anwar and referred to their past disagreement over obtaining the International Monetary Fund’s help during Malaysia’s economic crisis.

Anwar, as finance minister then, had been in support of it, while Dr Mahathir disagreed. – May 18, 2018.