PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has brushed aside calls by his fellow party man Rafizi Ramli for Dr Mahathir Mohamad to step down and hand over the premiership soon or be forced to do so.

Anwar said there was no need for disorderly conduct when it comes to the handover.

“I appreciate (Rafizi’s) concern, but I need to reiterate that it is important that Dr Mahathir’s administration be given support, and the transition must be peaceful and orderly,” he said after his speech on Islam and its Civilisation at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was commenting on Rafizi’s remarks on Wednesday that the Pakatan Harapan coalition could set a date for Dr Mahathir to step down if the latter is unwilling to do so himself.

Rafizi, a staunch ally of Anwar, had told a forum in Singapore that it was agreed that the then jailed Anwar would take over the reins from Dr Mahathir when he was freed, but a date had not been fixed for the transition of power.

The 94-year-old prime minister has yet to say exactly when he will make way for his successor, although he has repeatedly hinted of a “two-year timeline”, which would imply his retirement this May.

“If (Dr Mahathir) relinquishes willingly, the transition will be very smooth,” Rafizi had said, adding the latter was necessary for PH to hold on to power come the next general election.

With no fixed date for the transition in sight, however, the component parties of the ruling coalition have been forced to speculate and, in several cases, bicker over the matter of succession.

Last November, Dr Mahathir had told reporters that Anwar had agreed that the transition of power should be conducted without causing too much strain on the country.

Anwar, meanwhile, has remained consistent in backing Dr Mahathir’s government, and has said he would allow the premier to carry out his reforms first before taking over. – January 11, 2020.