Mahathir said despite securing Anwar’s royal pardon for his past offences, the PKR president went on to visit everyone, but not him, ostensibly to show gratitude.

He added that Anwar also refused to visit him after the PKR president was released from prison.

In a Malaysia Gazette interview, he said Anwar had also become “critical” of him over time, which made him think twice about appointing him as a Cabinet minister.

“If I were to drop a minister from the Cabinet and appoint him (Anwar), I’d have to think, what is the benefit?”

“Of course, I’ve promised to appoint him as PM, but we must remember, for us to name someone to be PM, only the Parliament can decide who is qualified to be one,” he told the news portal.

Mahathir had previously promised an eventual handover of the post of prime minister after a few years to Anwar as part of a PH consensus prior to the 2018 polls.

Meanwhile, Mahathir said Anwar’s recent announcement that he had majority support in Parliament was also questionable, as a similar previous event never materialised.

“We knew that he never had the majority before. This time, I don’t know. If true, then Muhyiddin (Yassin) has fallen,” he said.

Mahathir went on to say present premier Muhyiddin did not have strong support in Parliament.

“He (Muhyiddin) only has two MPs in support (for a majority). If say the two MPs have a stomach ache, then he has none.”