Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will emerge victorious and even recapture Selangor if a snap general election is held, his arch nemesis Dr Mahathir Mohamad has conceded.

"Right now, the opposition is in disarray. They are not prepared. They don't have the kind of machinery like BN. BN has the government machinery...," he told reporters in Putrajaya.

"I think it is quite likely that he (Najib) would win if he calls for an election now," added the former prime minister.

He said while BN has been a coalition that persisted for over 50 years, the opposition is a "loose gathering of people" that doesn’t even have the money to run its machinery.

Speculation of a snap election began to circulate after BN's thumping victories in the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections of June 18.

Mahathir's prediction of Selangor falling to BN comes in the wake of a survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center, which showed that Menteri Besar Azmin Ali’s popularity is at an impressive 65 percent.

Opponents have to do something

Meanwhile, Mahathir said Najib’s opponents would have to do something, whether or not Najib opts to call for snap elections or wait for the current parliament’s term to expire in 2018.

The same goes for former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, whose outspoken opposition to Najib got him sacked from Umno last week.

Also sacked together with Muhyiddin was Mahathir’s son and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir.

After Muhyiddin’s sacking, the Pagoh MP had said that he is considering to form a new political platform but needs time to decide his next move.

Commenting on this, Mahathir said: "Muhyiddin is opposed to him (Najib) because of his performance, so Muhyiddin would have to find a way to counter his kind of campaign.

“He may lose, but that doesn’t mean that he would not fight."

Mahathir added that the people must come to realise that the government they have is corrupt.

To a question, he said he and Muhyiddin have not met since the sacking on June 24 and have not held any discussion.

He had met with Mukhriz, he said, but the two have yet to discuss the matter.