Anwar wants nation to focus on economy, not '30-minute' transition issue

The nation's focus should be on the economic situation, which has been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, instead of the transition of power issue, according to Anwar Ibrahim.

Responding to a question on this, the PKR president said discussions on the pre-arranged transition issue is not a time-consuming process.

"The transition is part of the deal and it can be resolved in half an hour. The focus is on the economy,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

The Harapan presidential council is scheduled to discuss the transition issue tomorrow. This would be preceded by a pre-council meeting involving the coalition's top six leaders.

Anwar also denied he would pin down Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to state a specific date to pass the leadership reins to him.

"No, we will discuss," he said, adding that neither him nor Mahathir should be pressured on this issue.

"Both of us and the Harapan council have decided the change will be smooth, peaceful and orderly and we will still continue to work as a team," he said.

Previously, Mahathir said he would step down after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Kuala Lumpur in November.

The presidential council has not met since November last year.

Tomorrow's meeting comes amid intense speculation on whether Anwar would succeed Mahathir or if the nation would witness a repeat of the 1998 fallout between the pair. 

There are efforts within Anwar's own party to secure two separate statutory declarations - one in support of the PKR president and the other for Mahathir to serve out a full term.

Last week, Anwar met Mahathir in his office in Putrajaya in the wake of Sarawak Report claiming that MPs are signing a statutory declaration in support of the prime minister.

In a media statement issued later, the PKR president confirmed the existence of a plot to keep Mahathir in power but said the latter was not involved.

On a separate matter, Anwar declined to comment on police re-investigating a complaint his former aide Muhammed Yusoff Rawther lodged against his political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

"Let the police investigate, there are more serious cases I know. Don't politicise this small case," Anwar said.

Yusoff had claimed that Farhash had beaten him up at Anwar's office in Petaling Jaya last year.