Jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim would do well to remember what happened soon after his former mentor Dr Mahathir Mohamad shook his hand back in 1998, said an Umno Minister.

"Mahathir shaking Anwar's hand today was like what happened back in 1998 one day before Mahathir destroyed Anwar.

"Mahathir's kiss is a kiss of death," Salleh Said Keruak wrote on his blog post.

He was commenting on the drama at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today when Mahathir unexpectedly turned up and even shook his arch-rival Anwar's hand.

However, Salleh, who is multimedia and communications minister, said he was neither shocked not impressed (over today's event).

He dismissed the matter as a fairly commonplace political compromise, which also proves that Mahathir is at the end of his ropes.

"Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's attendance in court today, as a show of support to Anwar Ibrahim, is not really a shock or surprise.

"This is what we would call political expediency. It just shows how desperate Mahathir has become," he said.

Salleh said that Mahathir knows that his nascent party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, cannot go far on its own.

So, he needs to latch on to Pakatan Harapan like a space shuttle needs a rocket to get off the earth, he added.

"That is why Mahathir is trying to build a bridge with Anwar – so as to court Pakatan Harapan. Mahathir finally admits he does not really have the strength to make his party a success.

"He needs to tompang (hitch a ride) on Anwar and Harapan."

This, he said, was in spite of what Mahathir and Anwar have been saying about each other for 18 years.

Mahathir appeared at the High Court to attend Anwar's application to challenge the controversial National Security Council Act 2016 (NSC Act).

When Mahathir and Anwar met in the courtroom, they both greeted each other and shook hands.

Mahathir then gave Anwar a pat on his arm.

Mahathir was accompanied by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and former Umno division leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

The move was seen by the others present in court as Mahathir giving moral support to Anwar, whom he sacked in 1998 as deputy prime minister, based on their common objective – both oppose the NSC Act.

Anwar is seeking the court to declare the NSC Act as unconstitutional.

Anwar’s wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail later said that today was the two leaders' first ever meeting since 1998.

"The first meeting after 18 years and three days… since Sept 2, 1998…,” she tweeted.