After a full pardon is secured for Anwar Ibrahim, the former opposition leader will be appointed to a position equivalent to his status, according to PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

"Of course, we intend to place him at a position he deserves," he said when quizzed on this.

However, Saifuddin declined to provide a specific time frame as to when Anwar would succeed Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the eighth prime minister.

"We don't talk about the time frame, be it one year or two years. I think we should respect Mahathir, who was just sworn in as prime minister last night," he said.

"I am not going to touch about that," Saifuddin added after visiting Anwar at the Cheras Rehabilitation Centre in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

In January, Pakatan Harapan announced Mahathir as its prime minister-designate and Anwar as his successor.

However, the Harapan chairperson, who previously stated he only needed two years as prime minister if the opposition coalition wins the 14th general election, indicated that he might need more time in order to do certain things.

Saifuddin said he and several leaders, including party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, vice-presidents Nurul Izzah and Rafizi Ramli, took turns to brief Anwar on the new cabinet discussed during Harapan's presidential council meeting earlier today.

"This is meant (for us) to continue our second meeting with the prime minister tomorrow, to discuss the formation of the new government," he said.

Earlier, Mahathir announced that 10 core ministries would be set up first to run the government and he would announce the ministers tomorrow.

Saifuddin also said many Umno parliamentarians have contacted PKR about the possibility of crossing over.

"We are hoping that there will be more Opposition MPs coming in," he said.

"I am in touch with several Umno MPs who have expressed their interest in joining PKR and Harapan as well.

"We have 113 MPs and I am quite confident it will increase," Saifuddin added, but he declined to reveal any figure.