Mahathir says will step down after Nov

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday that he does not know if the date of Malaysia's most anticipated power transition will be fixed at the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council meeting on Friday (Feb 21).

But he reiterated that he will step down as premier as he had promised, but will do so only after Malaysia hosts November's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. "I don't know (if the date issue will be raised). I have said that I am prepared to resign anytime when asked. "But my promise to resign remain, and whatever decision made (by the presidential council), I will only resign after Apec," he said to reporters here, reported foreign media.

Asked if he would raise the issue himself, Tun Dr Mahathir, 94, said he would not. "I'm going to be the chair," he said. The PH presidential council, comprising the most senior leaders of the four component parties of PH, is meeting on Friday to resolve the thorny issue of when Dr Mahathir would be passing on the prime ministership to MP Anwar Ibrahim, 72.

PH leaders had agreed before the May 2018 general election that should the four-party coalition grabbed power, Dr Mahathir would pass the premiership to Datuk Seri Anwar, who was then in jail.