Many opposition leaders have jumped on the bandwagon with regard to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 'Save Malaysia' movement, but one top leader’s neutral stance has been hard to ignore.

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has never revealed the reasons behind her staying away from the movement, but her expression of regret over Mahathir’s recent remarks has somewhat explained it.

“I regret Dr Mahathir should choose to continue to express rancour and venom against Anwar Ibrahim. This persists despite Anwar's magnanimity in forgiving Mahathir's previous excesses.

“But when he chose to repeat the scurrilous attacks on Anwar’s character using the same institutions he now chooses to attack, I think that is nothing short of being unacceptable,” Wan Azizah said in her response, which was published by the Bebas Anwar movement on its Facebook page.

The wife to the former opposition leader also stressed that this was not about personal ambitions, when asked whether she wants Anwar to be the next prime minister.

“If it were, I would not have asked him to slave away his freedom in defence of his principles and beliefs.

“I reiterate our sincere commitments to reforms and not personal vendetta by any individual,” Wan Azizah ( photo ) said.

The Permatang Pauh MP is also of the opinion that the Citizens’ Declaration be expanded to one that meets the people's demand for institutional reforms as well as concrete actions to see the end to corruption.

“Secondly, Mahathir must understand that in any meaningful collaboration with the opposition and civil society, we cannot opt for autocratic methods because we have worked throughout based on consensus, prioritising the welfare of the people particularly affected by the current economic malaise and flawed governance.

“Mahathir must learn to accept a vibrant democracy that we opt for and demand that the people eventually decide on the future they want. Controlling mindsets only represent the old order,” she said.

In an interview with The Australian , Mahathir had said that Anwar was too old to become Malaysia’s next prime minister.

He also repeated his infamous revulsion for his former deputy, concerning Anwar’s alleged “immoral” issues.

“The fact is, people complained about his moral behaviour. For me that behaviour is not acceptable as a person who was about to succeed me as president of the party,” Mahathir told The Australian .

Mahathir, together with notable opposition and civil society leaders, last month signed the Citizens’ Declaration, which calls, among others, for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Anwar, then, had expressed his support for the movement.