EVEN after casting Dr Mahathir Mohamad aside, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim cannot be prime minister simply because he lacks the numbers.

The Pejuang chairman said this in a lengthy statement today in which he also denied being a stumbling block in Anwar’s mission to get into the country’s highest office.

“We all know that Anwar cannot be prime minister. Anwar’s statement about having enough numbers is untrue.

“I have no place in Anwar’s plans. It is clear that even after he had set me aside, Anwar did not win,” Dr Mahathir said in a blog post today.

The 95-year old former prime minister said Anwar had also claimed to have had the numbers in 2008 but had failed to prove it.

“Was I also the one who stopped him then?” Dr Mahathir asked.

He said he was pressured by Anwar’s supporters to resign the prime minister’s office prematurely to make way for their leader.

“I did not oppose the Pakatan Harapan proposal for Anwar to replace me upon my resignation. But even when it was not yet time, Anwar’s followers had demanded that I resign.”

He said Anwar had refused to cooperate in February when the ruling coalition was plunged into crisis by the defection of Bersatu to the other side.

Dr Mahathir said the PKR president had even vetoed DAP and Amanah’s proposal to let him be the interim prime minister for six months.

“It was suggested that I hold the post of prime minister for six months before surrendering the office to Anwar.

“Amanah and some DAP members agreed but Anwar said no.”

Anwar had rejected the idea even after I pledged to hand over office to him after six months, said Dr Mahathir.

“Anwar did not want me involved at all.”

Dr Mahathir was the mentor of Anwar, who served as deputy to his prime minister in the 1990s. The pair fell out in 1998, leading to Anwar being sacked and going on to establish PKR.

In 2018, the two foes agreed to set aside their differences to work together as PH in the general election.

PH won but its rule lasted only 22 months, when Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin took the party out of the coalition.

Muhyiddin went on to become prime minister with the support of Umno, PAS and GPS.

Anwar last month announced that he had the support of the majority to seize office, a claim that will be tested in the coming week when parliament votes on the supply bill for Budget 2021. – November 21, 2020.