KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he will not be holding office beyond three years.
The prime minister said his government needed three years to reduce Malaysia’s debt from 80 per cent of Gross Domestic Product to 54 per cent.
When asked by CNBC’s news anchor Tanvir Gill whether he would stay in office to see out that goal, Dr Mahathir said:
“No, I will not go beyond three years.”
Instead, Dr Mahathir said his priority was to enable Malaysia to “resolve this (debt) problem” even after he steps down.
“I’ll be a PM to help resolve certain problems. It may take two years or more, but the most important thing is solving the problem, then I’ll go, I do not want to stay on,” said the prime minister.
“As far as I’m concerned, I have made a promise that I will step down and that Anwar (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) will succeed me,” Dr Mahathir added.
Meanwhile, in Putrajaya, Anwar stressed that there were no problems between him and Dr Mahathir regarding the handing over of the prime minister’s post.
The Port Dickson member of parliament said questions on the date of handing over and related matters were between the two of them.
“The prime minister’s (Dr Mahathir) important reply is that what has been signed, promised will be fulfilled.
“We should give space to whoever is the prime minister to administer effectively without being disturbed by a timetable on stepping down,” he told a media conference after attending the presentation of cheques for cost of living allowance for national laureates here today.
Also present were Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.
Anwar said that to him and Dr Mahathir, the issue of transfer of power had been settled and they even met “on a weekly basis”.
“There is absolutely no problem insofar as the transition is concerned,” he said.
Asked on Dr Mahathir’s statement that he would hand over the post within three years and not two as reportedly agreed to by Pakatan Harapan, Anwar said: “That is only an assumption.” - Bernama