PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, in a message from prison that was read out at the Pakatan Harapan convention today, alluded that the coalition's reforms agenda will remain intact despite Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad being named as the prime ministerial candidate.

The message, read out by PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, did not specifically state but alluded to Harapan's decision and how it will not impact reforms.

"In the spirit of cooperation, we accept the decision of the leadership.

"However, it does not affect our demands for change from a system that suppresses the people's freedom to think, which exercises power in a rapacious and arrogant manner and robs the people's wealth - something that has all this while become the norm in the country's governance," he said.

Mahathir was formally named as Harapan's prime ministerial candidate today after weeks of wrangling.

Bersatu, DAP and Amanah had agreed to nominate Mahathir but PKR had its reservations.

PKR, or more specifically Parti Keadilan Nasional before its merger with Parti Rakyat Malaysia, was born out of an uprising against Mahathir when he was prime minister.

This was after Mahathir sacked Anwar as his then deputy prime minister in 1998.

While that historical backdrop had made it difficult for PKR to accept Mahathir, however, the party eventually relented after it secured the wording it wanted about Anwar's release.

In the joint statement, it said Harapan, should it form the new federal government, will immediately seek a royal pardon for Anwar.

Anwar, in his message to the convention, praised the coalition for being able to form a consensus despite the scepticism, particularly in the BN media.

He noted that there were some within Harapan too that did not take cognisance of the fact that a policy decision required transparency and the consideration of the feedback of the majority.

Going forward, Anwar urged Harapan to focus on policy matters grounded in their struggle which had been carried out in the last two decades.

"Therefore, let us move ahead with confidence in rejecting tyranny and corruption," he said, adding that the coalition also cannot defend what is wrong.

"If we can keep this spirit alive and spread it, I am confident that, god willing, the 14th general election will see a new era for our beloved Malaysia," he said.