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“We are not talking about the time-frame. We should respect Dr Mahathir who just took his oath of appointment yesterday,” he told FMT at the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital today, where he was visiting Anwar.
Saifuddin said Pakatan Harapan would place Anwar in a deserving position for which he was qualified, but declined to discuss what this would be.
He denied that there was an effort to appoint Anwar as a senator and would not confirm if he would be made an advisor to the government.
“There would certainly be an effort to have an electoral process, but we have not discussed that yet,” he said.
He said all parties should show respect to Mahathir, 92, who is chairman of Pakatan Harapan and PPBM.
Pakatan Harapan had previously announced that Mahathir would serve as prime minister until Anwar, who is de facto head of PKR, receives a royal pardon for a sodomy conviction and becomes eligible to take part in political activities.
Anwar’s wife, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, has been named as deputy prime minister.
Mahathir announced earlier today that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had indicated last night his willingness to grant Anwar a full royal pardon.
Anwar’s five-year sodomy conviction bars him from political activities for five years after completion of his sentence. He is due to be released next month.
He would need to be elected an MP through a by-election or be appointed a Senator in order to be made a member of the Cabinet.
Anwar was deputy prime minister from 1990 to 1998 in Mahathir’s administration when both were in Umno. Anwar was dismissed by Mahathir in 1998 and went into opposition, forming PKR. Mahathir was expelled from Umno last year, formed PPBM, and became head of the Pakatan Harapan coalition of PKR, DAP, PPBM and Amanah.
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