While many veteran Reformasi activists have dealt with their share of blows in their time, the prospect of having their former enemy Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, albeit interim, has elicited apprehensive responses.

During Mahathir’s 22-year tenure as premier, Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as deputy prime minister, and later jailed for what the opposition leader claims were politically-motivated sodomy charges.

In 1998, Anwar began the Reformasi protest movement in a bid to shift the country’s politics away from Mahathirism, out of which PKR was born.

Last night, most of the 100 activists at a Reformasi appreciation dinner in Kuala Lumpur concurred that their only candidate for prime minister was Anwar, as it had always been. Shouts of "Anwar for PM" were heard between speeches.

When met after the dinner, P Ganapathy, 55, said he did not believe that Mahathir had changed his ways, and preferred the 92-year-old remain an advisor to Pakatan Harapan rather than play an executive role, however “interim” the tenure.

“He will be the same line, same stream (as before).

“(Mahathir) does not understand Reformasi at all...reform is something different from what he has been practising (in his political career).

“It’s better that he just retire and give advice, that is what Reformasi will require,” the March 2 Freedom activist told Malaysiakini.

Warming the seat

Others were more open to the idea of having Mahathir serve as an interim leader while Harapan works to obtain a royal pardon for Anwar, who is presently serving time, and facing a five-year ban from politics upon his release.

This proposal, which also mooted PKR president and Anwar’s spouse Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as deputy prime minister, was said to have been discussed at the Harapan leadership retreat last week.

Otai Reformis member S Puspalingam (photo), 72, said such a proposal would be ironic, but he would support it if it would enable Anwar to become PM.

“If Anwar wants to make use of this fellow (Mahathir) to make himself PM, I will support it because that is politics,” he said.

Pak Amjal, the nickname of Jalaluddin Abdul Manaf, 82, also supported the proposal conditionally, that is if Harapan implements measures to ensure Mahathir’s tenure is only temporary.

“I support it but I am afraid.

“Harapan must put it in writing that he (Mahathir) is an interim PM and promise that he will only be temporary.

“If it is temporary that is okay, but if it is long-term then that is not okay,” he said.

Also present at the dinner was Reformasi activist and PKR Federal Territories deputy chairperson Zahir Hassan (photo), who said he believed Mahathir would honour any agreements made by Harapan – such as becoming interim leader only until Anwar’s release.

“We believe in the spirit of Harapan, he will definitely execute what has been agreed upon – to get the full pardon for Anwar, and put Anwar in his rightful position as the PM,” he said.

The PKR politburo previously declined to confirm their stance on having Mahathir as Harapan's prime ministerial candidate, saying instead that there were no decisions on the matter yet, and that it had to continue discussions while "considering the history and principles of the Reformasi struggle".